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HISTORY 

OF   THE 

FIRST  ECCLESIASTICAL  SOCIETY 

IN    EAST  WINDSOR, 

FROM    ITS 

FORMATION  IN  1752,  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  ITS  SECOND  PASTOR, 
EEV.    SHUBAEL    BARTLETT, 

IN  1854. 


WITH    A    SKETCH    OF    THE    LIFE    OF  EEV.  MR.  BARTLETT,  AND    HIS 

FAREWELL  DISCOURSE,    PREPARED    FOR   THE    FIFTIETH 

ANNIVERSARY    OF    HIS    SETTLEMENT. 


HARTFORD: 

PRESS    OF    CASE,    TIFFANY    AND    CO 

1857. 


HISTORY 


OF   THE 


FIRST  ECCLESIASTICAL   SOCIETY  IN  EAST  WINDSOR. 


The  sanctuary  in  which  to  worship  God,  and  the 
school-house  in  which  the  youthful  mind  is  to  receive 
the  rudiments  of  education,  have  ever  been  the  true 
insignia  upon  the  standard  of-  the  Pilgrims,  and 
wherever  we  find  their  descendants  establishing  a 
settlement  we  shall  see  amid  the  trees  of  the  vast 
forest,  or  on  the  hill-top  of  the  open  country,  the 
spire  of  the  meeting-house  pointing  up  to  the  eternal 
dwelling-place  above,  and  its  humble  attendant  nest- 
ling in  some  bye  corner  or  near  the  highway  path. 
They  have  never  been  noted  for  the  beauty  of  their 
architecture  nor  for  the  pleasantness  of  their  loca- 
tion, and  have  long  been  the  jest  of  the  heartless 
writer  and  the  ignorant  traveler,  but  to  those  who 
can  sympathise  in  the  true  dignity  and  happiness  of 
man,  and  can  understand  his  dependence  upon  a 
pure  heart  and  an  understanding  mind,  there  is  a 
beauty  in  their  tasteless  architecture  and  a  grandeur 
in  their  unpretending  simplicity.     To  the  native  of 


New  England  however,  they  have  charms  that  touch 
the  tenderest  chords  of  his  heart.  They  are  the 
near  associates  of  that  loved  spot  where  his  youth 
was  matured.  They  are  part  of  the  "  home  of  his 
childhood,"  and  wherever  else  may  be  his  residence 
in  after  years,  that  home  with  all  its  hallowed 
associations  will  still  keep  a  clasp  upon  his  heart  and 
maintain  its  moral  sway. 

Many  have  already  gone  out  from  us,  and  are  con- 
tending on  the  battle-field  of  life  over  the  broad  area  • 
of  our  country,  and  others  are  preparing  to  go.  To 
such  this  unpretending  narrative  will  contain  sub- 
jects of  deep  interest.  May  its  perusal  bring  up 
wholesome  thoughts  of  past  days,  and  recall  those 
lessons  from  the  Word  of  God  which  you  once  lis- 
tened to  in  our  old  Scantic  meeting-house. 

The  rapidity  with  which  towns  spring  into  exist- 
ence at  the  present  day  forms  a  striking  contrast  to 
their  progress  one  hundred  years  ago,  and  the  pres- 
ent generation  would  have  but  an  imperfect  idea  of 
the  struggles  and  hardships  endured  by  their  ances- 
tors should  they  judge  them  by  what  their  eyes  now 
witness  of  the  process  by  which  churches  are  founded 
and  societies  collected  for  their  maintenance.  Es- 
pecially would  this  be  the  case  in  reference  to  the 
parish  of  which  this  record  pretends  to  be  a  memo- 
rial. 

Only  those  whose  memories  can  reach  back  to  the 
latter  part  of  the  last  century  can  realize  the  im- 
mense strides  which  our  whole  country  has  made  in 
the  progress  of  social  power,  and  it  is  only  by  recall- 
ing from  the  page  of  history  events  which  to  us  now 


appear  almost  fabulous  recitals,  but  which  only  date 
back  from  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  that  we 
can  bring  home  to  our  perception  the  fact  of  the 
mighty  development  of  wealth,  and  refinement,  and 
social  comfort. 

In  the  year  1754  we  were  a  part  of  the  vast  British 
empire.  We  acknowledged  allegiance  to  a  sovereign 
across  the  sea,  and  humbly  prayed  His  Majesty  for 
every  privilege  we  needed,  and  willingly  yielded  our 
purses  to  his  call,  and  fought  under  his  standard 
against  his  enemies. 

The  native  Indians  were  then  in  the  very  heart  of 
our  country.  They  encircled  within  their  hunting- 
grounds  the  finest  and  most  fertile  portions  of  it, 
and  their  numbers  were  so  many  and  their  power  so 
significant  that  they  were  alike  feared  and  courted 
by  the  opposing  forces  of  the  civilized  armies  which 
in  that  day  made  our  fair  land  the  field  of  warfare. 

In  1754,  Washington  was  a  young  man  just  emerg- 
ing into  notice,  an  officer  under  the  king,  traversing 
with  dauntless  courage  the  wilds  of  the  West,  and 
training  himself  unconsciously  for  the  splendid  posi- 
tion he  was  in  maturer  years  to  occupy  in  our  strug- 
gle for  liberty  and  right. 

Seventeen  hundred  and  fifty-four  was  the  epoch 
of  Braddock's  defeat.  In  1757  oc(3urred  the  re- 
markable massacre  by  the  French  and  Indians  at 
Fort  William  Henry.  In  1759  the  immortal  Wolfe 
fell  at  the  storming  of  Quebec,  and  that  fortress, 
with  the  vast  possessions  of  the  French  in  the  north- 
ern portion  of  America,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
British. 

1* 


In  1765  the  memorable  Stamp  Act  was  passed, 
and  received  the  royal  signature,  and  the  first  spark 
of  that  fire  which  finally  kindled  the  blaze  of  the 
Reyolution,  was  struck  out,  and  the  lion  aroused  in 
the  hitherto  passive  breasts  of  our  sires. 

Six  years  after  the  incorporation  of  the  town  of 
East  Windsor,  at  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  con- 
vened on  the  first  Monday  of  August,  1774,  to  delib- 
erate on  the  dangerous  situation  of  the  liberties  of 
the  American  colonies  and  the  distressed  condition 
of  the  town  of  Boston,  Erastus  Wolcott,  Esq.,  was 
chosen  moderator,  and  after  the  subject  was  largely 
discussed,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously 
passed : 

"  That  the  measures  which  the  British  crown  and 
parliament  of  late  years  have  thought  proper  to 
adopt  in  relation  to  the  colonies  of  America,  in  the 
opinion  of  this  town,  wear  a  very  threatening  aspect 
to  their  liberties  and  tranquility,  and  deserve  the 
most  serious  attention. 

The  Act  for  raising  a  revenue,  for  His  Majesty,  in 
America,  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  administration 
of  justice,  and  the  support  of  civil  government,  and 
the  defense  of  His  Majesty's  dominions  in  America, 
was  made  not  only  on  principles  subversive  of  the 
darling  privilege  of  the  English  constitution,  in 
taking  away  the  property  of  th^  subject  without  his 
consent,  but  also  with  the  further  view  to  place  it  in 
the  power  of  the  crown  to  support  a  government  in 
America  independent  on  the  people,  and  His  Majesty 
undertaking  to  increase  and  pay  the  salaries  of  some 
of  the  American  officers,  who  appeared  most  forward 
to  favor  the  views  of  the  crown,  out  of  his  American 
revenue,  that  used  to  be  done  by  the  people  without 
any  expense  to  the  crown,  affords  ample  proof  of 


such  a  design,  and  that  the  court  and  government 
of  Great  Britain  design  to  have  the  government  of 
the  colonies  entirely  in  their  own  hands.  The  situ- 
tion  of  our  affairs  is  truly  distressing,  but  in  the 
opinion  of  this  town  it  ill  becomes  the  offspring  of 
those  that  have  done  and  suffered  so  much  in  the 
cause  of  liberty  to  give  up  the  most  valuable  bless- 
ings of  life  ;  but  we  ought  to  exert  ourselves  with 
great  firmness,  union,  and  resolution,  to  avoid  the 
oppression  that  threatens  us.     We  ought, 

1st.  In  the  first  place  most  devoutly  to  look  to 
Him,  whose  throne  is  in  the  heavens,  for  help  and 
deliverance. 

2d.  That  in  the  management  of  this  unhappy 
controversy  we  ought  to  treat  His  Majesty,  our 
rightful  sovereign  and  his  parliament,  with  a  be- 
coming conduct  and  expressions  of  loyalty  and  re- 
spect. 

3d.  We  entirely  approve  of,  and  very  much  re- 
joice, that  there  appears  to  be  such  unanimity  of 
sentiment  in  the  colonies. 

4th.  That  we  judge  it  of  the  greatest  importance 
that  the  several  provinces,  cities,  towns,  and  each 
inhabitant  thereof,  lay  aside  all  party  and  selfish 
views,  and  firmly  abide  by  the  decisions  of  our  del- 
egates about  to  assemble  in  Congress. 

5th.  In  the  opinion  of  this  town  every  man  that 
from  lucrative  motives,  prejudice,  or  other  mean 
and  narrow  views,  shall  counteract  these  measures, 
ought  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  traitor  to  his  country, 
and  treated  not  with  violence  on  his  person,  but 
with  neglect  and  all  the  proper  marks  of  disesteem 
which  such  a  character  deserves,  and  be  made  sen- 
sible of  his  ill  conduct  by  denying  the  benefits  of 
society,  of  commerce,  and  the  common  advantages 
of  civilized  life. 

6 til.  That  we  look  upon  it  to  be  our  duty  ten- 
derly to  sympathize  with  and  lil^erally  to  contribute 


8 

to  the  relief  of  such  as  or  shall  be  reduced  to  want 
in  this  struggle  for  liberty,  and  to  do  all  in  our 
power  to  encourage  and  strengthen  those  that  ap- 
pear for  the  support  of  it ;  and  the  inhabitants  of 
this  town  do  hereby  agree,  resolve,  and  engage,  to 
conduct  themselves  in  this  important  crisis  of  affairs, 
agreeable  to  the  sentiments  and  duties  set  forth  in 
the  above-mentioned  particulars.     And  that 

William  Wolcott,  Erastus  AVolcott,  Charles  Ells- 
worth, Jr.,  Esq.,  Captain  Ebenezer  Grant,  Benoni 
Olcott,  Lemuel  Stoughton,  Daniel  Ellsworth,  Jr., 
Edward  Chapman  Grant,  be  a  committee  to  keep  a 
correspondence  with  the  towns  of  this  and  the  neigh- 
boring colonies,  and  to  promote  and  forward  such 
contributions  that  shall  be  made  in  this  town  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  in  Boston  under  their  present 
distress." 

How  far  off,  almost  in  fairy  land,  do  our  minds 
now  place  these  events  and  the  state  of  society  which 
this  record  brings  back,  and  yet  all  these  occurred 
since  the  formation  of  our  ecclesiastical  society  in 
1752.  The  physical  aspect  of  the  parish  then  had 
not  much  to  recommend  it,  almost  a  continuous 
forest  spread  over  its  eastern  section,  with  only  a 
few  cleared  spots  where  settlers  had  felled  the  trees 
and  were  cultivating  the  openings  which  their  own 
hands  had  made.  The  beautiful  undulations  of  its 
surface,  the  rolling  hills,  and  winding  streams,  and 
rich  meadows,  which  now  please  the  eye  and  afford 
a  picturesque  home-view  to  almost  every  location 
throughout  its  whole  area,  were  then  hidden  be- 
neath the  spreading  arms  of  the  giant  oaks. 

As  early  as  1736,  settlers  began  to  select  favorable 
spots  for  location  amid  the  forests — some  choosing 


their  position  where  the  land  was  favorable  for  grain, 
some  where  the  large  pines  afforded  means  for  the 
manufacture  of  tar,  and  others  amid  marshy  places 
where  the  grass  grew  rank,  for  the  purpose  of  gath- 
ering hay  to  winter  stock,  the  sowing  of  grass-seed 
being  an  improvement  in  agriculture  not  then  known 
to  them. 

From  all  that  can  be  now  learned  of  the  charac- 
ters of  those  who  first  settled  the  north  parish  of 
East  Windsor,  we  must  judge  them  to  have  been 
men  of  strong  resolution,  untiring  industry,  and  of 
religious  habits.  They  were  men  who  did  not  fear 
the  wilderness,  who  could  stand  with  their  axes 
amid  the  vast  forest  and  fell  tree  by  tree  to  make  a 
clearing  where  the  grain  was  to  be  raised  for  their 
sustenance,  and  the  habitations  to  be  erected  in 
which  they  and  their  children  were  to  dwell.  They 
were  not  mere  speculators,  who  sought  to  make  the 
most  out  of  the  land  they  occupied  in  the  shortest 
possible  time,  and  then  to  remove  and  try  their  luck 
upon  some  other  uncultivated  spot  j  but  they  seem 
to  have  settled  with  a  design  to  make  a  life-stay  of 
it,  contenting  themselves  with  a  bare  living  for  the 
first  few  years,  and  enlarging  their  incomes  as  they 
extended  their  clearings  and  brought  more  land  into 
.a  state  of  cultivation.  The  houses  which  they 
erected  were  not  log-houses  such  as  have  formed 
the  first  houses  of  settlers  in  the  far  west,  but  they 
were  frame  buildings  of  small  size,  made  comforta- 
ble without  any  pretension  to  ornament.  Many  of 
the  original  settlers  purchased  large  tracts  of  land, 
which  have   sufficed  even  to  the  present   day  for 


10 

division  among  their  descendants,  so  that  in  very 
many  locations  among  us  the  present  owners  can  sit 
beneath  the  shadow  of  the  trees  that  sheltered  their 
forefathers,  and  cultivate  the  soil  where  their  great- 
great-grandfathers  labored. 

This  one  fact  tells  its  own  story  to  our  hearts,  and 
should  be  treasured  by  those  who  enjoy  the  privilege 
as  a  distinguishing  characteristic.  In  a  country 
where  land  can  not  be  entailed,  and  the  possessions 
which  the  fathers  obtained  by  industry  and  skill  can 
be  scattered  by  the  prodigality  of  the  children,  sur- 
rounded too  by  influences  that  strongly  tend  to  em- 
igration in  quest  of  easier  fortunes,  it  should  be  a 
matter  for  honest  pride  to  many  a  family  among  us 
that  the  inheritance  they  now  call  their  own  has 
been  the  home  of  their  fathers  and  their  father's 
fathers,  and  almost  every  spot  of  it  hallowed  by  asso- 
ciations with  the  loved  and  honored  dead.  Such 
land  may  have  its  nominal  value  on  the  assessor's 
books,  bvit  we  doubt  very  much  whether  its  owners 
ever  calculated  what  its  real  value  in  dollars  and 
cents  might  possibly  be,  for  in  their  hearts  they  have 
entailed  it  to  their  children  and  their  children's  chil- 
dren, and  may  it  thus  descend  for  long,  long  time 
to  come,  an  heirdom  that  reminds  each  succeeding 
possessor,  of  prudence,  and  industry,  and  steady 
habits,  and  a  stimulus  to  the  practice  of  the  virtues 
which  have  preserved  for  them  a  permanent  home ; 
and  however  lightly  in  this  day  of  change  and  bustle 
many  may  esteem  the  spot  of  earth  where  they  and 
their  fathers  have  been  reared,  and  rejoice  in  the 
fact  that  they  feel  no  local  ties  and  hold  themselves 


•  11 

as  citizens  of  the  world  at  large,  and  are  ready  to 
plant  themselves  wherever  the  prospect  of  gain  pre- 
sents the  most  alluring  offer — there  is  still  a  virtue 
and  a  rich  reward  in  the  cultivation  of  that  filial 
piety  that  clings  to  the  home  of  our  childhood  and 
the  land  of  our  birth. 

It  is  difficult  at  this  distant  day  to  ascertain  ex- 
actly the  religious  character  of  the  first  settlers  here, 
but  from  the  best  information  which  can  be  obtained, 
they  were  a  church-going  people,  for  we  learn  that 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  attending  regularly  those 
places  of  worship  nearest  to  their  different  locations. 
Those  who  lived  in  the  north  visited  the  old  church 
in  Enfield,  and  those  who  settled  in  the  middle  and 
southern  portions  of  the  parish,  attended  the  church 
of  Dr.  Edwards,  situated  near  the  old  burying 
ground  at  East  Windsor  Hill,  now  within  the  bounds 
of  South  Windsor.  This  church  has  long  been 
taken  away,  but  the  grave-yard  still  retains  the 
remains  of  many  of  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  our 
parish.  Sabbath  after  Sabbath  they  traversed  the 
foot-paths  through  the  woods  to  that  place  of  worr 
ship,  and  in  death  they  T^ere  carried  through  the 
same  paths  for  many  miles  on  the  shoulders  of  neigh- 
bors and  acquaintances  to  the  depository  of  the 
dead  near  the  house  of  God.* 


*  One  of  our  oldest  inhabitants  remembers  that  at  the  death  of  a 
young  lady,  whose  relatives  had  been  buried  in  the  old  cemetry  on 
East  Windsor  Hill,  the  corpse  was  carried  from  the  house  he  now 
occupies  in  Ireland  street,  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  bearers  to  the 
place  of  interment,  a  distance  of  seven  miles ;  several  sets  of  bear- 
ers relieving  each  other. 


12    * 

The  first  record  we  have  of  the  present  first 
society  in  East  Windsor,  is  dated  25th  day  of  June, 
1752.  A  meeting  legally  warned  convened  on  that 
day  at  the  house  or  Mr.  John  Prior.  Captain  John 
Ellsworth  was  chosen  moderator,  and  the  following 
votes  were  passed : 

"  Voted,  That  Captain  John  Ellsworth,  David  Skin- 
ner and  Joseph  Harper,  be  society's  committee. 

Voted,  By  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  north  society,  entitled  by  law  to  vote,  to  build 
a  meeting-house  in  and  for  said  society. 

Voted,  That  they  would  apply  themselves  to  the 
county  court,  to  see  where  the  meeting  house  should 
be. 

Voted,  That  Samuel  Watson,  an  inhabitant  of 
said  society,  be  the  agent  for  said  society  to  apply 
to  the  county  court  for  a  committee  to  affix  a  place 
where  the  meeting-house  shall  be." 

October  30th,  1752,  at  an  adjourned  meeting  of 

the  society,  the  following  resolution  passed : 

"  Voted,  That  they  would  raise  five  hundred  pounds, 
old  tenor  currency,  for  the  building  of  a  meeting- 
house, to  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  committee  for 
that  purpose." 

The  county  court,  according  to  request,  appointed 

a  committee,  and  said  committee  made  report,  but 

it  appears  not  to  have  been  satisfactory,  for  on  the 

10th  of  Dec,  1752,  at  a  meeting  then  held,  in  which 

Captain  John  Ellsworth  was  moderator,  and  Ammi 

Trumbull  clerk,  we   find   the  following  resolution 

passed  by  a  vote  of  ten  majority  : 

"  Voted,  That  they  would  apply  to  the  county  court 
to  laying  objections  against  the  report  of  second  com- 
mittee of  said  court  ordered  by  said  court  to  affix  a 


•    13 

place  for  a  meeting-house,  and  to  apply  to  said 
court  for  another  committee — and  that  Erastus  Wol- 
cott  be  employed  to  find  the  center  of  society,  and 
to  make  a  new  place  if  necessary. 

Voted,  That  Benjamin  Osborn  be  an  agent  for 
said  society  in  laying  their  objections  before  the 
county  court." 

During  the  delay  necessary  to  fix  upon  a  suitable 
spot  for  the  erection  of  their  place  of  worship,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  parish  were  not  willing  to  be 
witliout  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  within  the 
bounds  allotted  to  them,  and  we  find  the  following 
resolution  on  record : 

''  At  a  meeting  of  the  north  society  in  Windsor,  le- 
gally warned,  voted  Captain  John  Ellsworth  mod- 
erator. 

Voted,  To  raise  one  hundred  pounds,  old  tenor 
money,  to  hire  preaching  at  Mr.  John  Prior's. 

Voted,  That  one-quarter  of  said  hundred  pounds, 
should  be  spent  in  preaching  at  Mr.  Nathaniel  Ells- 
worth's. 

Voted,  That  Benjamin  Osborn  should  go  to  hire 
a  minister  to  preach  to  said  society." 

At  the  expiration  of  a  year  from  the  time  of  their 
first  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  house  of 
worship,  the  difficulties  attending  the  setting  a  stake 
at  the  place  where  it  should  be  located  were  sur- 
mounted, and  on  the  22d  of  June,  1T53,  we  find 
the  following  vote  : 

"  Voted,  That  a  person  be  appointed  to  go  to  the 
county  court,  now  sitting  at  Hartford,  to  get  the 
place  where  the  last  committee  set  the  last  stake,  as 

2 


14 

a  place  for  a  meeting-house  to  be  recorded.*     And 
that  Joseph  Harper  be  their  agent  for  that  purpose." 

At  the  same  meeting  it  was  also 

"  Voted,  That  Mr.  Caleb  Booth  should  go  for  Mr. 
Pot  wine  to  preach." 

In  August  we  find  the  following  important  res- 
olutions : 

"  Aug.  20th,  1753.  At  a  meeting  of  the  north 
society  in  Windsor,  legally  assembled.  Captain  John 
Ellsworth  being  moderator, 

Voted,  To  give  Mr.  Thomas  Potwine,  of  Coventry, 
a  call  to  preach  with  us  on  probation,  in  order  to 
settle  with  us,  with  the  advice  of  the  association. 

Voted,  To  build  a  meeting-house,  the  same 
length  and  breadth  as  the  meeting-house  in  the 
second  society,  and  twenty-one  feet  high  between 
joints. 

Voted,  Jonathan  Bartlett,  Samuel  Allyn,  and 
Ammi  Trumbull,  l)e  a  committee  to  employ  men 
to  get  timber  for  said  building." 

After  a  trial  of  two  months  it  was  decided  that 
Mr.  Potwine  should  be  called  as  their  pastor.     The 

*  The  following  record  was  made  at  the  June  term  of  the  county 
court,  1753. 

"  We,  the  subscribers,  being  appointed  in  November  last,  a  com- 
mittee to  repair  to  the  north  society  in  Windsor,  view  their  circum- 
stances, hear  all  persons  concerned,  and  affix  and  ascertain  a  place, 
in  our  opinion,  most  suitable  and  commendable  whereon  to  build  a 
meeting-house  for  divine  worship  in  said  society,  having  reported  to 
said  court  in  January  last,  the  said  society  having  applied  to  us  to  re- 
view and  further  consider  their  case,  did,  on  the  6th  day  of  May, 
inst.,  repair  to  said  society  and  review  their  circumstances  and  hear 
all  persons  concerned,  and  having  advantage  of  a  new  plan  of  said 
society  which  gave  a  diiferent  representation  from  that  which  we  be- 
fore used,  in  reconsideration,  have,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number 


16 

meeting  for  that  purpose  was  held  on  the  22d  Oct., 
1853,  and  Joseph  Harper  was  moderator  of  the 
meeting. 

"  Voted,  To  give  Sir  Thomas  Potwine  a  call  to  set- 
tle with  ns  in  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

Voted,  To  give  Sir  Thomas  Potwine,  of  Coventiy, 
two  thousand  pounds  in  money,  old  tenor,  as  it  now 
passes,  as  a  settlement. 

Voted,  To  give  Sir  Thomas  Potwine  five  hundred 
pounds  for  his  yearly  salary.  Equal  to  grain,  wheat 
at  forty  shillings  per  bushel,  rye  at  thirty  shillings 
per  bushel,  and  Indian  corn  at  twenty  shillings  per 
bushel,  old  tenor,  and  to  add  to  it  as  our  lists  rise 
until  it  amounts  to  six  hundred  pounds  old  tenor 
money. 

Voted,  That  Joseph  Harper  and  Mr.  David  Skin- 
ner be  a  committee  to  treat  with  Sir  Thomas  Pot- 
whie  about  settling  with  us. 

Voted,  To  alter  the  shape  of  the  meeting-house, 
that  it  should  be  forty-seven  feet  in  length,  thirty- 
five  in  breadth,  and  twenty-one  in  height  between 
joints. 

Voted,  That  Ebenezer  Bliss  go  to  Lieutenant 
Watson  and  Daniel  Clark,  in  the  name  of  the 
society,  to  purchase  of  them  and  take  a  deed  for  the 
same,  of  one  and  a  half  acres  of  land." 

of  the  inhabitants  of  said  society,  set  down  a  stake  in  the  lot  of 
Lieutenant  Samuel  Watson,  about  36  rods  near  south  from  the  new 
dwelling-house  of  Mr.  Daniel  Clark  in  said  society,  and  are  now  of 
opinion  that  the  place  where  we  have  now  set  the  stake  is  the  most 
suitable  place  whereon  to  build  a  new  house  for  divine  worship  for 
said  society,  and  will  accommodate  the  inhabitants  thereof. 

NATHANIEL  OLCOTT,  \  ' 
ZEBULON  WEST,  [  Committee. 

STEPHEN  CONE,  ) 

June  term,  1753. 


16 

This  was  designed  for  the  spot  on  which  the 
church  should  be  erected  and  where  the  stake  had 
been  placed. 

Our  forefathers  had  doubtless  more  correct  ideas 
of  the  true  relation  in  which  a  pastor  and  his  people 
stand  to  each  other  than  many  societies  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  and  the  record  which  now  follows  ought  to 
be  engraven  on  the  hearts  of  all  ecclesiastical  socie- 
ties, and  should  be  a  ruling  principle  in  all  their 
agreements  for  the  support  of  the  ministry.  The 
reason  which  called  for  the  resolution  is  not  given, 
but  the  fact  of  its  having  been  placed  upon  their 
records  goes  far  to  illustrate  their  character  as  men 
and  Christians. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  north  society  legally  assem- 
bled on  the  first  day  of  February,  1754, 

Voted.  That  if  what  we  have  already  voted  for 
Sir  Thomas  Po twine's  salary  should  be  insufficient 
for  his  support,  that  we  will  add  to  his  salary  as  his 
circumstances  call  for  and  our  abilities  will  admit  of  ."^^ 

In  1758  a  new  agreement  was  entered  into  between 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Potwineand  his  people,  in  which,  at  his 
request,  the  sum  to  be  paid  to  him  annually  was  to 
be  sixty  pounds  so  long  as  he  should  continue  their 
minister.  He  had  also  the  use  of  the  glebe  land,  or 
minister's  lot,  and  a  yearly  provision  of  wood.  As 
this  seems  to  have  been  an  arrangement  satisfactory 
to  both  parties,  we  may  conclude  that  the  sum,  small 
as  it  appears  to  us,  was  sufficient  in  that  primitive 
period  of  our  country,  for  its  purpose. 

We  find,  however,  much  to  the  credit  of  the  so- 
ciety, when,  at  a  subsequent  period,  in  consequence 


17 

of  the  high  price  of  the  necessaries  of  life  during  the 
terrible  years  when  our  young  nation  was  in  the 
deadly  struggle  for  her  independence — upon  an  ap_ 
pUcation  by  Mr.  Pot  wine  for  assistance,  we  find  the 
following  record  : 

"  27th  Dec,  1799.  Voted,  To  raise  fourteen  hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds  money  to  be  paid  to  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Po twine,  in  addition  to  his  stated  salary  the 
current  year,  on  account  of  the  high  price  of  the 
necessaries  of  life." 

What  was  the  actual  value  of  the  amount  desig- 
nated as  fourteen  hundred  and  forty  pounds  is  not 
now  easily  determined,  but  as  they  also  raised  one 
hundred  and  eighty-eight  pounds  for  the  purchase  of 
his  wood  for  that  year,  which  had  usually  cost  five 
pounds,  we  can  suppose  it  to  have  amounted  to  forty 
pounds — an  addition  to  his  regular  salary  of  two- 
thirds. 

There  is  also  an  excellent  testimony  borne  for  the 
society  by  its  records  in  the  promptness  with  which 
the  salary  to  their  minister  was  paid.  Regularly  as 
the  year  came  round  his  receipt  is  attested  as  in  full 
for  the  amount  agreed  upon. 

The  following  rules  of  church  discipline  were  de- 
fined for  settlement  of  Mr.  Potwine  at  a  meeting  of 
the  society  on  the  first  April,  1754  : 

"  Voted,  To  settle  Sir  Thomas  Potwine  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner,  viz. : 

1st.  The  Word  of  God  is  the  only  infallible  rule 
of  church  discipline. 

2d.  That  the  church  will  have  a  manual  vote  in 
this  house. 

3d.  That  whenever  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
2* 


18 

send  a  messenger,  that  we  will  choose  him  by- 
proxy. 

4tli.  That  whenever  we  shall  have  occasion  for  a 
council,  that  the  church  shall  choose  them. 

5th.  We  do  agree  to  leave  the  examination  of 
those  who  desire  to  join  in  full  communion  with  the 
minister. 

6th.  We  do  agree  that  those  who  have  a  desire  to 
join  in  full  communion  have  lil3erty  to  make  relation 
of  their  experience  in  the  church  and  congregation, 
upon  their  admission  to  the  church." 

Mr.  Potwine,  having  accepted  the  terms  offered 
him  as  a  settlement,  it  was  concluded  that  on  the 
1st  day  of  May,  1754,  he  should  be  solemnly  or_ 
dained  as  their  pastor. 

And  the  following  votes  were  passed  at  the  meel- 
ing  held  on  the  1st  April  preceding  : 

"  Voted,  To  ordain  Sir  Thomas  Potwine  at  Lieu- 
tenant Samuel  Watson's. 

Voted,  That  Captain  John  Ellsworth  proceed  for 
the  ministers  that  shall  ordain  Sir  Thomas  Potwine, 
and  the  rest  of  the  ministers  that  shall  come  to  or- 
dination, and  the  messengers. 

Voted,  That  Caleb  Booth,  Ezekiel  Osborn,  Jona- 
than Bartlett,  Samuel  Watson,  David  Skinner,  John 
Gaylord,  Ebenezer  Bliss,  Benjamin  Osborn,  and 
Ammi  Trumbull,  provide  for  people  that  come  to 
ordination." 

No  building  had  as  yet  been  erected  for  public 
worship,  but  the  people,  anxious  to  have  the  minis- 
tration of  the  ordinances  and  a  servant  of  God  as 
their  leader  and  teacher,  procured  the  use  of  a  pri- 
vate house  for  that  purpose,  and  the  one  most  appro- 
priate then  on  account  of  its  size  and  capacity  for 
accommodating  a  number  of  people  was  that  which 


19 

is  now  in  possession  of  Mr.  Joel  Prior,  situated  in 
Main  street.  The  ordination  of  Mr.  Potwine  was 
celebrated  under  the  roof  of  a  barn  then  newly 
erected  and  never  as  yet  used.  Of  course  none  are 
now  living  who  witnessed  that  scene,  but  the  account 
of  it  the  writer  has  received  from  an  old  lady,  who 
very  distinctly  remembers  what  her  mother  told  her 
about  it,  who  was  present  and  with  her  babe  in  her 
arms.  The  ceremony  was  performed  upon  the  barn 
floor.  A  table  answered  for  a  desk,  and  benches 
made  of  rough  boards,  with  a  few  chairs  for  the  more 
distinguished  ministers,  were  their  seats.  Boards 
were  laid  across  the  bays  as  standing  places  for  the 
women  and  older  people,  while  upon  the  beams 
above  perched  the  younger  and  most  elastic.  This 
barn  is  still  standing. 

It  would  be  gratifying  to  be  able  to  give  some 
particulars  of  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Potwine,  but  un- 
fortunately no  records  have  been  preserved  that  can 
throw  light  upon  it ;  nothing  pertaining  to  church 
matters  can  be  known  except  from  tradition.  How 
many  were  added  through  his  long  ministry  can 
only  be  known  now  when  the  last  great  account 
shall  be  made  up. 

In  about  one  year  after  his  ordination,  the  house 
for  worship  was  completed,*  and  the  congregation 

*  The  house  of  worship  was  not  probably  in  a  finished  state  when 
first  occupied,  for  we  find  on  record  the  following  resolutions  in 
reference  to  it : 

"Dec.  18th,  1759,  voted  that  Joseph  AUyn,  Johnathan  Bartlett> 
and  Ammi  Trumbull,  be  a  committee  for  finishing  tiie  lower  part 
of  the  meetinji-house. 


20 

joyfully  assembled  together  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
secrating it  as  a  holy  place  where  they  could  meet 
to  sing  the  praises  of  Jehovah,  to  bow  together  in 
prayer  before  him,  and  to  sit  beneath  the  droppings 
of  the  sanctuary,  and  listen  to  the  teachings  of  His 
servant  from  the  holy  scriptures. 

It  was  erected  as  nearly  at  the  center  of  the  par- 
ish as  could  be  agreed  npon,  although  in  the  opinion 
of  many,  who  lived  on  what  was  called  the  river 
road,  "  too  far  in  the  woods."  The  site  chosen  was 
the  one  occupied  by  the  present  place  of  worship. 
The  building  was  after  the  fashion  of  many  of  that 
day,  where  the  society  was  not  large  or  wealthy. 
It  was  a  plain,  oblong  building,  of  small  size,  as 
the  dimensions  already  given  testify,  and  without 
any  steeple  or  ornament.  A  door  opened  from  the 
east  and  south,  and  with  its  galleries  could  probably 
accommodate  from  two  to  three  hundred  persons. 
Not  long  after  the  erection  of  the  church  a  small 
building  was  put  up  near  the  present  site  of  the 

"  Voted,  That  the  lower  part  of  the  meeting-house  be  finished  with 
pews." 

Again,  at  a  meeting  hckl  21st  Dec,  1767,  Deacon  Lampson  Wells 
being  chosen  moderator,  and  James  Harper,  John  Thompson,  and 
Lemuel  Stoughton,  society's  committee — 

"  Voted,  To  raise  twelve  pounds  to  glaze  the  meeting-house,  to  be 
paid  in  grain,  viz  :  wheat  at  four  shillings,  rye  at  three  shillings,  and 
Indian  corn  at  two  shillings  per  bushel ;  and  the  society's  committee 
to  take  charge  of  the  glazing." 

Again,  at  a  meeting  held  11th  Dec,  1769 — 

"  Voted,  To  raise  eighty  pounds  to  be  expended  in  finishing  the 
meeting-house,  to  be  paid  in  grain,  wheat  at  four  shillings,  rye  at 
three  shillings,  and  Indian  corn  at  two  sliillings  per  bushel ;  and 
Lemuel  Stoughton,  Johnathan  Bartlctt,  and  Simeon  Wolcott,  to  be 
a  committee  to  lay  out  the  money  and  sec  to  the  work." 


21 

dwelling-house  of  Samuel  W.  Bartlett,Esq.,for  the  ac- 
commodation of  those  who  lived  too  far  from  the  place 
of  worship  to  be  able  to  return  to  their  homes  during 
the  interruption  of  public  worship  at  noon,  where 
they  could  take  refreshment  such  as  they  had 
brought  with  them,  or,  if  the  winter  season,  have 
the  benefit  of  a  fire,  and  replenish  their  foot-stoves 
for  the  afternoon  service,  a  warm  meeting-house 
being  in  those  days  an  interdicted  luxury.  This 
building  also  answered  a  very  useful  purpose  for 
those  females  who  might  have  no  convenience  for 
riding  to  church,  and  were  of  necessity  often  com- 
pelled to  encounter  sand  and  dust  if  the  season  was 
dry,  or  snow  and  mud  at  other  times — a  change  of 
the  nether  garments  was  necessary,  and  here  it 
could  be  effected. 

Going  to  church  was  in  those  days  a  matter  of 
course.  None  staid  at  home  but  the  very  aged  and 
the  sick  ;  and  they  went  in  that  way  which  happened 
to  be  most  convenient,  for  the  most  part  on  horse- 
back.* The  husband  and  the  wife,  the  brother  and 
sister,  the  lover  and  his  lass,  each  pair  on  the  same 
horse,  and  often  a  little  one  in  the  arms  of  the 
mother  or  father.  One  hundred  horses  have  been 
counted  thus  passing  in  line  along  one  of  the  most 


*  Some  of  the  roads  were  inconvenient  even  for  that  mode  of  con- 
veyance. At  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  long  hill  which  ascends  from 
Mr.  Osbom's  mill  to  what  is  now  called  Prospect  street,  horse-blocks 
were  erected  at  which  the  riders  could  dismount  and  mount — the  hill 
was  so  steep  and  rugged  they  were  obliged  to  lead  their  horses  going 
up  or  down ;  and  some  persons  now  living  remember  well  seeing 
these  blocks. 


22 

frequented  roads,  of  those  who  liad  been  attending 
the  house  of  God. 

Weather  did  not  then  determine  the  numbers 
who  should  be  in  their  seats  in  the  Lord's  house. 
The  soaking  rain  and  the  driving  storm  of  snow 
were  matters  of  little  account  with  the  hardy  ances- 
tors of  this  settlement,  the  men  who  with  their  own 
sturdy  arms  had  made  a  clearing  for  their  families 
amid  the  forest,  and  the  women  who  with  their  own 
hands  wove  the  garments  in  which  their  husbands 
and  themselves  were  clad,  were  not  the  persons  to 
look  either  to  the  heavens  above  or  the  earth  be- 
neath to  ascertain  whether  it  would  do  to  "  venture 
out  to-day."  Moreover,  going  to  church  was  con- 
sidered an  indispensable  duty,  none  turned  their 
backs  upon  the  house  of  God,  and  it  was  no  uncom- 
mon thing  for  neighbors  to  question  each  other  if 
for  one  or  two  Sabbaths  any  were  absent  from  their 
place.  Alas !  that  the  good  habit  should  ever  have 
been  laid  aside. 

With  this  practice  continued,  as  the  parish  in- 
creased in  numbers,  we  can  readily  understand  how 
at  the  end  of  fifty  years  the  house  which  had  accom- 
modated the  fathers  became  too  small  for  their  de- 
scendants. The  seats  could  not  contain  the  congre- 
gation, and  the  stairs  which  led  into  the  galleries, 
as  well  as  the  outer  steps  at  the  doors,  were  often 
filled  with  those  who  could  find  no  other  resting- 
place. 

'  Whether  the  spiritual  condition  of  the  people  may 
be  judged  by  this  crowding  to  the  house  of  God, 
can  not  now  be  so  clearly  ascertained  as  we'  could 


23 


wish.  That  there  was  a  good  degree  of  vital  relig 
ion  we  may  hope.  Prayer-meetings  were  regularly 
kejDt  up  in  different  parts  of  the  parish,  and  in  these 
exercises  the  hands  of  the  pastor  were  greatly 
strengthened  by  the  energy  and  devotion  of  his 
venerable  father  who  had  removed  to  this  town. 
He  went  from  house  to  house  and  held  meetings 
that  were  well  attended,  and  was  constant  in  his 
labors  both  in  regular  attendance  through  all 
weathers  and  in  direct  conversation  with  individ- 
uals. And  so  much  was  he  esteemed  for  these 
labors  of  love,  that  the  people  of  their  own  accord 
erected  for  him  a  small  house  in  the  center  street 
of  the  parish,  that  he  might  have  a  permanent 
home  among  them. 

The  first  notice  we  have  of  any  necessity  for  a 
new  meeting-house  is  from  the  record  of  a  meeting 
held  the  19th  day  of  Dec,  1796.  The  society  was 
called  together  "  for  the  purpose  that  the  inhabit- 
ants of  said  society  may  show  their  minds  respecting 
the  necessity  of  building  a  new  meeting-house,  and 
to  do  any  business  lawful  and  proper  to  be  done 
relating  to  the  building  of  said  house." 

But  two  votes  were  passed  at  this  meeting ;  one 
appointing  James  Chamberlin  moderator,  and  the 
other  to  adjourn  the  meeting  to  the  first  Monday 
of  March  following,  at  10  o'clock  in  the  forenoon. 

At  the  meeting  held  in  March,  the  question  was 
put  by  the  moderator — 

"  Will  you  do  anything  respecting  the  building  a 
new  meeting-house  in  this  society  ? 
The  society  answered  in  the  negative." 


24 

Five  years  elapsed  before  any  move  was  again 
made  in  reference  to  erecting  a  new  house  or  re- 
pairing and  enlarging  the  old  one.  On  the  21st 
day  of  April,  1801,  a  meeting  was  held  of  the  sec- 
ond society  in  East  Windsor,  "legally  holden  at  the 
meeting-house  in  said  society. 

"  Voted,  Captain  Hezekiah  Bissell,  moderator. 

Voted,  To  build  an  addition  to  the  meeting- 
house in  said  society  of  about  21  feet  in  length,  and 
the  same  height  and  breadth  with  the  body  of  said 
house,  on  the  north  part  of  said  house ;  to  build  a 
new  roof  facing  the  opposite  way  from  what  the  old 
one  now  stands  ;  to  move  the  pulpit  to  a  proper 
place;  to  fill  the  new  part  with  pews,  excepting 
proper  alleys ;  to  move  any  pews  that  it  shall  be 
necessary  to  move  ;  to  plaster  all  parts  of  said 
house  that  shall  be  necessary ;  to  new  cover  the  out- 
side of  said  house  and  paint  it ;  to  underpin  the 
said  house  decently  with  three  tier  of  stone,  includ- 
ing many  of  the  old  underpinning  stone  as  can  be 
used  ;  and  to  procure  suitable  step-stones  ;  all  to  be 
done  within  twenty  months  from  this  date. 

Voted,  That  Messrs.  John  Morton,  Thomas  Pot- 
wine,  Jr.,  and  Stoddard  Ellsworth,  be  a  committee 
to  carry  the  above  vote  into  execution. 

Voted,  To  raise  four  cents  on  the  dollar  on  the 
list  of  1800,  to  enable  said  committee  to  carry  into 
execution  the  above  described  building." 

Nothing  had  been  done  towards  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  resolutions  passed  at  the  meeting  in 
April,  when  the  society  again  met  in  October  of  the 
same  year,  except  collecting  materials  for  the  work ; 
nor  is  there  a  record  of  any  motion  having  been 
made  to  rescind  or  alter  the  votes  which  had  been 


25 

passed  ;  nor  is  any  mention  made  in  reference  to  the 
matter,  except  the  following  vote  : 

"  Voted^  That  the  inhabitants  of  this  society  or 
any  individuals  be  permitted  to  build  a  cupola  or 
steeple  to  the  meeting-house  in  this  society,  provided 
it  be  done  entirely  by  subscription,  and  provided  no 
tax  be  laid  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  same." 

A  difference  of  opinion  is,  however,  known  to 
have  arisen,  and  perhaps  a  little  too  much  per- 
tinacity was  manifested  on  each  side  ;  the  breach 
became  seriously  wider  and  wider,  and  the  members 
on  either  side  of  the  question  were  determined  to 
stand  by  their  expressed  opinion.  At  the  close  of 
one  of  their  meetings  in  which  many  hard  words 
had  been  sent  back  and  forth,  and  in  which  it  had 
been  decided  by  a  majority  of  voters  that  an  addi- 
tion should  be  made  to  their  present  house  of  wor- 
ship, it  was  very  evident  that  the  minority  felt  sorely 
grieved,  and  one  of  them  was  heard  to  express  the 
opinion  "that  the  addition  would  never  be  made." 
Whether  it  was  spoken  under  prophetic  inspiration 
or  otherwise  is  of  little  consequence  now. 

In  the  edge  of  evening  of  that  same  day,  5th 
Oct.,  1801,  the  families  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
meeting-house  were  aroused  by  the  cry  of  fire  I  and 
to  their  dismay  soon  found  that  the  sacred  building 
which  had  been  the  subject  of  so  much  contention, 
and  the  innocent  cause  of  much  asperity  of  feeling, 
was  involved  in  flames.  The  fire  had  originated 
upon  the  west  end  of  the  house,  and  when  first 
discovered  it  is  said  might  soon  have  been  extin- 
guished ;  but  the  efhcient  help  at  the  right  time 
3 


26 

was  wanting,  and  the  dry  material  soon  fed  the 
flame  beyond  the  power  of  any  means  within  reach 
to  extinguish  it,  and  in  a  few  liours  a  heap  of  ashes 
and  charred  timbers  alone  remained  of  the  place 
where  for  half  a  century  the  inhabitants  of  the  second 
parish  of  East  Windsor  had  worshiped.  To  some, 
doubtless,  it  was  rather  an  agreeable  sight  than  oth- 
erwise ;  there  could  now  be  no  patching  or  adding 
to  be  done ;  a  new  house  must  be  had  to  worship 
in,  or  none  at  all ;  but  to  very  many  it  brought  dis- 
may and  sorrow  of  heart.  The  old  building  had 
been  their  "first  love."  It  was  associated  with  the 
memory  of  departed  ones.  It  was  their  holy  house. 
Sabbath  after  Sabbath  they  had  gathered  there  from 
tbeir  earliest  days  ;  there  they  had  sung  the  praises 
of  Jehovah,  had  bowed  in  solemn  prayer,  had  lis- 
tened to  words  of  exhortation,  and  there  perhaps 
had  received  the  first  breath  of  spiritual  life.  No 
other  place  could  be  to  them  what  that  had  been, 
and  as  the  unsparing  flames  wrapped  in  their  furious 
embrace  the  sacred  building,  and  sent  their  lurid 
glare  far  up  on  the  overhanging  clouds  and  on  the 
distant  hill-tops,  the  tears  of  heartfelt  sorrow  broke 
forth,  and  lamentations  were  heard  in  many  a 
household.  It  seemed  to  them  like  the  triumphing 
of  the  wicked ;  like  the  tread  of  the  demon  of  evil 
upon  their  sacred  Zion. 

But  perhaps  to  no  one  was  the  intelligence  "  that 
the  church  was  on  fire  "  so  heart-rending  as  to  him 
who  had  administered  at  that  sanctuary  for  the  last 
fifty  years.  Mr.  Potwine  had  now  become  an  old 
man.     He  had  reached  the  farther  shore  of  time, 


27 

and  the  mists  from  eternity's  vast  ocean  were  begin- 
ning to  gather  around  him.  Advanced  in  life  and 
weakened  by  disease,  he  was  in  no  condition  to  bear 
such  a  trial.  To  him,  above  all  others,  that  old 
edifice  was  precious.  It  had  been  the  place  of  his 
life's  labor ;  the  post  where  his  master  had  stationed 
him  in  the  days  of  his  early  manhood,  and  in  which 
he  had  been  kept  to  his  old  age ;  it  was  associated 
with  all  the  memories  so  dear  to  a  true  pastor  of 
the  flock  of  Christ.  He  had  there  proclaimed  a 
Saviour's  dying  love  ;  administered  the  elements 
commemorative  of  that  Saviour's  atoning  sacri- 
fice ;  witnessed  the  power  of  the  truth  upon  those 
who  listened  to  his  message  from  the  heights  of 
Zion.  It  was  the  one  spot  to  which  for  fifty  years  his 
mind  turned  with  deep  interest,  and  with  which 
were  connected  his  duty  here  and  his  crown  here- 
after. He  is  said  to  have  lost  his  usual  elasticity 
of  mind,  his  spirits  drooped,  and  his  bodily  infirmi- 
ties increased  in  power,  until  the  hour  came  which 
closed  his  trials  and  his  stewardship. 

Now  that  time  has  worn  away  the  prejudices  of 
those  opposed  to  the  erection  of  a  new  building,  and 
in  favor  of  enlarging  the  old  one,  those  of  them  who 
are  now  alive  doubtless  believe  that  it  has  resulted 
in.  good.  And  in  what  way  could  an  old  church  be 
so  properly  disposed  of  as  to  be  burned  to  ashes  and 
mingled  again  with  the  dust  ?  Better  far  thus  to  be 
removed  when  no  longer  appropriate  for  that  use  to 
which  it  had  been  consecrated,  than  to  have  its 
pews  converted  into  barn-yard  fences,  and  its  pulpit 
and  sounding-board  into  hen-coops. 


28 

A  period  of  darkness  now  ensued.  The  minds  of 
many  in  the  society  were  sadly  embittered.  The 
daring  and  wanton  act  which  had  been  perpetrated  by 
some  rude  hand  could  not  be  forgotten.  More  than 
one  individual  was  suspected  and  openly  charged 
with  the  crime,  and  at  length  a  prosecution  was 
commenced  against  several  who  had  been  members 
of  the  society.  They  of  course  denied  the  charge  ; 
and  those  connected  with  them  by  friendship  or 
family  ties,  were  greatly  aroused  and  violently 
embittered  against  the  society,  and  withdrew  their 
names  from  its  list  of  members.  It  was  a  time  of 
contention  and  consequent  darkness.  Some  now 
living  can  no  doubt  recall  the  scene  as  one  of  severe 
trial  to  the  lover  of  Zion  ;  as  a  time  when  Satan 
seemed  to  have  gained  the  ascendency,  and  was 
about  to  root  up  the  good  seed  which  had  been  sown 
here  by  the  preaching  of  the  Word,  and  the  prayers 
and  tears  of  God's  people. 

The  trial  in  the  courts  lasted  for  some  time,  but 
the  result  of  it  is  now  of  little  consequence.  Most, 
if  not  all,  of  those  concerned  in  either  side,  have 
gone  before  a  higher  tribunal,  and  the  troubled 
waters  have  long  since  subsided ;  we  would  not 
raise  a  ripple  on  their  calm  surface. 

Whatever  division  of  feeling  existed  within  the 
society,  there  seems  to  have  been  a  decision  of  pur- 
pose with  a  large  majority  in  regard  to  the  erection 
of  a  new  place  of  worship.  At  the  regular  meeting 
of  the  society  in  the  following  April,  Captain  Heze- 
kiah  Bissell  being  chosen  moderator,  it  was 

"  Voted^  To  build  a  meeting-house  in  this  society, 


29 

at  a  place  where  the  Honorable  General  Assembly 
or  County  Court  shall  affix — by  a  majority  of  the 
whole  except  two — and  that  Caleb  Booth,  Esq.,  be 
agent  in  behalf  of  this  society  to  proffer  a  memorial 
praying  said  Assembly  or  Court,  as  occasion  may 
require,  to  appoint,  order,  and  affix  the  place  where- 
on said  meeting-house  shall  be  built,  and  also  to 
apply  to  said  Assembly  for  their  resolve  appropri- 
ating the  materials  and  money  provided  for  repair- 
ing the  old  meeting-house,  lately  burnt  in  this 
society,  to  the  purpose  of  building  a  new  one. 

Voted,  To  raise  five  mills  on  the  dollar  on  the 
list  of  1801,  for  the  purpose  of  defraying  the  ex- 
penses." 

The  expense  referred  to  was  more  particularly 
intended  for  carrying  on  the  law-suit  ordered  to  be 
commenced  against  those  suspected  of  having  fired 
the  old  meeting-house. 

Also, 

"  Voted,  That  John  Stoughton,  Jr.,  be  collector 
to  collect  the  said  tax." 

On  the  26th  day  of  May,  1802,  a  meeting  was 
held  "for  the  purpose  of  taking  into  consideration 
the  doing  of  the  Honorable  General  Assembly  com- 
mittee in  affixing  the  place  whereon  to  build  a 
meeting-house  in  this  society,  and  for  acting 
thereon." 

*"  Voted,  Captain  Hezekiah  Bissell,  moderator. 
Voted,  That  provided  said  Assembly  shall  ratify 
the  doings  of  said  committee,  we  will  build  a  meet- 
ing-house on  said  place. 

Ninety-one  in  the  affirmative  and  twenty-three 
in  the  negative." 

Voted,  To  adjourn  this  meeting  to  the  31st  day 
of  May,  instant,  at  2  o'clock,  P.  M." 
3* 


30 

On  the  31st  May,  accordingly,  the  society  again 
assembled  ;  Captain  Hezekiali  Bissell  moderator. 

"  Voted,  To  raise  two  cents  on  the  dollar  on  the 
list  of  1801,  towards  defraying  the  expense  of  build- 
ing the  new  meeting-house,  when  the  General  As- 
sembly have  affixed  the  place,  in  addition  to  the  four 
cent  tax  already  voted  and  appropriated  to  the  build- 
ing of  said  house,  by  said  Assembly,  payable  on  the 
first  day  of  October,  1802. 

Voted,  Messrs.  John  Morton,  Thomas  Potwine, 
Jr.,  and  Job  Ellsworth,  be  a  committee  to  carry 
the  building  of  said  meeting-house  into  effect. 

Voted,  To  build  said  meeting-house  of  the  fol- 
lowing dimensions  :  fifty-six  feet  in  length  and  forty- 
seven  feet  in  breadth,  and  a  proportionable  height, 
to  be  determined  by  the  committee  appointed  to 
build  said  house ;  and  to  erect  the  frame,  and  cover 
the  outside,  and  lay  the  lower  floor,  by  the  first  day 
of  October,  1802,  or  as  soon  as  may  be. 

Voted,  That  John  Watson,  Jr.,  be  the  collector 
to  collect  the  four  cent  tax  voted  21st  April,  1801. 

Voted,  That  Joseph  Lord  be  collector  to  collect 
the  two  cent  tax  voted  this  day." 

The  committee  chosen  by  the  society  seems  to 
have  possessed  a  very  commendable  degree  of  energy 
in  carrying  out  their  resolutions,  for  in  one  month 
from  the  date  of  their  last  meeting  the  house  was 
raised,  and  we  suppose  in  some  state  of  forwardness,, 
so  much  so  that  at  a  meeting  legally  warned  and 
held  on  the  2d  of  July,  1802,  they  felt  it  necessary 
to  pass  a  vote  and  take  measures  for  protection 
against  any  evil  disposed  persons  Avho  might  attempt 
to  injure  it.    The  following  resolution  speaks  for  itself: 

"  Voted,  That  Samuel  Styles,  Jeremiah  Lord, 
and   John   Fclshaw,   be  agents   in   behalf    of  this 


31 

society,  and  they  are  hereby  authorized  and  ap- 
pointed to  take  care  of  the  new  meeting-house, 
lately  erected  in  this  society,  and  to  commence  a 
prosecution  or  prosecutions  against  any  person  or 
persons  who  shall  attempt  or  commit  any  trespass 
on  said  meeting-house,  in  any  wise  injuring  the 
same,  and  to  make  presentment  to  proper  authority 
for  any  breaches  of  law  or  for  any  threats  that  have  or 
that  shall  be  uttered  respecting  said  house,  and  pros- 
ecute the  same  to  final  judgment  and  execution." 

The  last  vote  for  raising  the  yearly  salary  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Potwine,  was  passed  by  the  society  at  their  reg- 
ular meeting  in  October,  1802.  Caleb  Booth,  Esq., 
was  chosen  moderator,  Ebenezer  Watson,  society's 
clerk,  and  Caleb  Booth,  Hezekiah  Bissell,  and  Noah 
Allen,  society  committee. 

"'  Voted,  To  raise  two  hundred  dollars  for  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Potwine's  salary  for  the  current  year. 
Voted,  To  raise  sixteen  pounds,  sixteen  shil- 
lings, to  get  the  Rev.  Thomas  Potwine's  wood  for 
the  year  ensuing,  to  be  paid  to  the  following  named 
persons,  in  proportion  as  they  have  undertaken  to 
get  said  wood  : 

To   Daniel  Osborn,        4  cords  at  8  shillings. 
"     Hezekiah  Wells,      4        "         8         " 
"     Daniel  Chapin,         4     .   "         8         " 
'-'     Hezekiah  Bissell,     8        ''         8         " 
•'     Johnathan  Clark,    2        '•         8         " 
''     Henry  Wolcott,       2        "         8 
''     Paul  Hamilton,       2        ''         8 
"     David  Bancroft,       2        ''         8 
Alexander  Vining,  6        "         8 
Joseph  Button,        2        "         8 
Caleb  Booth,  4        "         8 


o 


u 


a 


u 


"     Johnathan  Button,  2        "         8 

42    cords." 


u 


32 


This  method  of  supplying  the  wood  for  Mr.  Pot- 
wine  had  been  adopted  first  at  a  meeting  of  the 
society  in  November,  1794,  at  which  time  an  in- 
spector of  the  wood  thus  to  be  provided,  was  ap- 
pointed. 

Soon  after  this  meeting  in  October,  1802,  the 
society  was  left  destitute  of  a  pastor  by  the  death 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Potwine.*     They  did  not  however 

*  Mr.  Potwine  died  in  November,  1802,  about  one  year  after  the 
burning  of  the  meeting-house.  The  following  record  of  his  last 
hours  of  life  was  made  at  the  time  when  the  scene  occurred  : 

"  For  more  than  ten  days  preceding  his  death,  Mr.  Potwine  was 
exercised  with  great  bodily  distress,  but  patient  and  resigned  to  the 
hand  of  God.  So  gi-eat  was  his  weakness  that  he  was  unable  to 
converse  in  that  length  of  time  ;  but  while  the  lamp  of  life  was  glim- 
mermg  in  the  socket,  and  every  moment  expected  to  be  his  last,  on 
the  morning  of  the  Lord's  day,  which  was  the  day  before  his  death, 
to  the  surprise  of  his  mourning  family  and  many  people  who  called 
in  to  take  a  last  and  affectionate  farewell  of  their  beloved  pastor,  on 
their  way  to  the  place  of  public  worship,  at  that  moment  he  was 
favored  with  a  short  revival,  his  departing  spirit  recalled,  and  with 
an  audible  voice  he  asked  them  to  unite  with  him  in  prayer ;  and  in 
the  following  words  poured  forth  the  desires  of  his  heart. 

"  Almighty  God  and  Heavenly  Father  !  be  pleased  to  be  with  us  on 
this  Thy  holy  day,  to  keep  us  from  sin  and  all  evil,  and  guide  us  in 
duty.  Will  God  be  with  me,  Thy  servant,  who  is  soon  to  be  laid  in 
the  consuming  grave.  Merciful  God  !  be  with  me  in  my  dying  mo- 
ments, to  uphold  and  support  me.  Put  underneath  me  Thine  ever- 
lasting arms  of  mercy ;  and  support  me  by  Thy  free,  rich  grace  ;  and 
receive  my  departing  spirit  to  Thy  l)lissful  presence.  Will  God  be 
with  my  dear  and  mourning  wife  in  her  great  trials,  and  support  her 
by  Thy  Holy  Spirit.  Will  God  sanctify  my  death  to  my  dear  chil- 
dren, for  their  spiritual  and  everlasting  good.  And  may  my  death 
be  sanctified  to  my  beloved  church  and  people  when  I  am  laid  in  the 
dust.  Unite  them  in  one  heart  and  one  mind  to  serve  the  living  and 
true  God.  Preserve  them  from  Will  worship  ;  and  may  they  in 
truth  and  sincerity  love  and  serve  Thee.  May  they  be  united  in 
harmony  and  peace.  Bless  the  whole  Israel  of  God  ;  and  have  com- 
passion on  the  immortal  souls  Thou  hast  made  ;  through  the  merits 
of  Thy  dear  Son,  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  and  to  Him,  with  the 
Father  and  Eternal  Spirit,  be  ascribed  everlasting  praises.     Amen." 

The  last  words  which  Mr.  Potwine  was  heard  to  utter,  were, 

"  Christ  is  my  all  and  in  all." 


33 

relax  in  any  of  their  efforts  to  finish  their  meeting- 
house, already  erected,  or  to  provide  for  themselves 
and  families  the  stated  preaching  of  the  gospel ;  and 
it  is  highly  gratifying  to  perceive  how  promptly  and 
systematically  they  went  on  amidst  the  difficulties 
with  which  they  were  surrounded.  They  had  now 
no  spiritual  leader.  Many  who  had  been  members 
of  the  society  either  withdrew  their  aid  or  united 
in  opposition ;  but  the  business  of  the  society  went 
steadily  on. 

A  meeting  was  legally  warned,  and  held  on  the 
10th  day  of  January,  1803.  Captain  Hezekiah  Bis- 
sell  was  chosen  moderator ;  when  it  was 

"  Voted ^  That  Caleb  Booth  be  and  he  is  hereby 
appointed  agent  for  this  society  to  apply  to  the 
association  for  advice  and  assistance  in  procuring 
a  candidate  to  preach  the  gospel  to  them  on  pro- 
bation. 

Voted,  To  raise  two  cents  on  the  dollar,  on  the 
list  of  1802,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  the  expenses 
on  the  meeting-house,  already  arisen,  and  likewise 
to  build  a  pulpit." 

In  March  following,  a  meeting  was  held  by  ad- 
journment from  that  held  10th  of  January,  which 
was  again  adjourned  to  the  third  Monday  of  March  ; 
and  on  the  third  Monday  the  society  again  assem- 
bled, but  the  only  resolution  passed  was  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  Voted,  To  dissolve  this  meeting." 

And  the  Rev.  Mr.  McClure,  the  pastor  of  the  south  church  in 
East  Windsor,  chose  them  as  the  text  from  which  he  preached  his 
funeral  sermon,  November  17th,  1802. 

Colossians  iii.  2.  —  "  Christ  is  all  and  in  all." 


34 

That  there  was  some  difficulty,  appears  evident 
from  these  frequent  meetings,  without  any  action. 
There  was,  however,  a  majority  of  determined  friends 
to  religion  and  good  order,  for  on  the  twenty-eighth 
day  of  March,  instant,  another  meeting  was  legally 
warned,  and  held,  at  which  considerable  business 
was  transacted. 

"  Voted,  Captain  Hezekiah  Bissell,  moderator. 

Voted,  Assael  Stiles,  clerk. 

Voted,  Asael  Stiles,  Treasurer. 

Voted,  To  finish  off  the  new  meeting-house  in 
this  socitey  complete  by  the  first  day  of  December 
next ;  the  stairs  in  the  steeple  to  be  included  in  fin- 
ishing said  house. 

Voted,  To  raise  six  cents  on  the  dollar,  on  the  list 
of  Aug.  20, 1802,  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  same,  to 
be  paid  at  three  several  payments,  viz. :  \  first  of 
Oct.,  1803  ;  1  first  of  October,  1804  ;  i  first  of  Octo- 
ber, 1805 ;  and  that  the  rate-bills  be  immediately 
made  out,  that  any  persons  so  disposed  may  pay 
their  proportions  at  once. 

Voted,  That  John  Morton,  Job  Ellsworth,  and 
Thomas  Potwine,  be  the  committee  to  finish  said 
house. 

Voted,  That  Joshua  Allen  be  a  collector  to  col- 
lect said  tax." 

The  above  meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  6th  day 
of  June  following,  when  the  following  vote  was 
passed : 

"  Voted,  To  raise  five  mills  on  the  dollar,  on  the 
list  of  1803,  to  defray  the  expense  of  hiring  a  cler- 
gyman to  supply  the  pulpit  in  this  society. 

Voted,  Mr.  Joshua  Allen  collector  to  collect  the 
above  tax." 

Mr.  Booth  had  been  successful  in  procuring  a  can- 


35 

didate,  the  Rev.  Shubael  Bartlett ;  and  the  above 
tax  was  laid  for  the  purpose  of  paying  him  for  his 
services. 

After  preaching  some  months  as  a  candidate,  Mr. 
Bartlett  received  a  call  from  the  society  to  settle  as 
their  Pastor. 

The  preliminary  meeting  for  that  purpose  was 
held  on  the  28th  day  of  November,  1803  ;  Captain 
Hezekiah  Bissell,  moderator.  The  vote  was  passed 
to  call  Mr.  Bartlett  by  a  large  majority,  eighty-four 
voting  in  the  affirmative,  and  twelve  in  the  negative. 
The  terms  of  settlement  were 

Five  hundred  dollars  to  be  paid  him  as  a  settle- 
ment, and  a  yearly  salary  of  four  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  so  long  as  he  should  be  able  to  supply 
the  pulpit,  and  if  disabled  from  preaching,  one-half 
the  salary  to  be  deducted.  He  was  also  to  have  the 
use  of  the  minister  lot. 

These  terms  were  accepted  by  Mr.  Bartlett  in  a 
communication  which  he  made  to  the  society,  dated 
Hartford,  12th  January,  1804,  and  which  is  now  on 
record — the  substance  of  which  is  as  follows : 

He  accepts  the  Cambridge  platform  in  matters  of 
church  discipline,  and  especially  as  expressed  in  the 
following  rules  : 

.  1st.  The  Word  of  God  is  the  only  infallible  and 
unerring  rule  of  church  discipline. 

2d.  The  church  shall  have  a  manual  vote  in  the 
church. 

3d.  That  whenever  the  church  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  send  a  messenger,  they  shall  choose  him  by 
ballot. 


36 

4th.  That  whenever  there  shall  be  occasion  for  a 
council,  the  church  shall  choose  them — except  it  be 
an  occasion  when  business  is  to  be  transacted  be- 
tween the  minister  and  the  people,  in  which  case  the 
council  shall  be  chosen  mutually  by  the  minister 
and  by  the  church. 

5tli.  The  church  agrees  to  leave  the  examination 
of  those  who  have  a  desire  to  join,  with  the  church, 
in  full  communion,  as  to  their  qualifications  with 
the  minister. 

6tli.  That  those  who  have  a  desire  to  join  in  full 
communion,  have  liberty  to  make  a  relation  of  their 
experience,  in  the  church  and  congregation,  upon 
their  admission  into  the  church. 

Under  these  principles  of  discipline  the  church 
and  Mr.  Bartlett  bound  themselves — which  agree- 
ment being  laid  before  the  society  at  an  adjourned 
meeting  held  the  9th  day  of  January,  1804,  it 
was 

"  Voted,  That  the  constitution  and  coevnant  into 
which  tne  church  have  entered  with  Mr.  Bartlett 
respecting  church  government  and  discipline,  be 
recorded  at  large. 

Voted,  That  it  is  the  will  of  this  society,  that 
Mr.  Shubael  Bartlett  should  be  ordained  in  tliis 
society,  to  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry,  on  the 
15th  day  of  February,  1804. 

Voted,  That  Caleb  Booth,  Hezekiah  Bissell,  and 
Noah  Allen,  be  a  committee  to  make  the  necessary 
provision  for  the  Reverend  clergymen  who  shall  be 
invited  as  counselors,  and  to  attend  the  Reverend 
gentlemen  in  council  in  behalf  of  this  society." 

Thus  under  the  kind  care  of  Providence  was  the 


37 

society  carried  through  all  the  trying  scenes  attend- 
ing the  wanton  destruction  of  their  old  meeting- 
house— the  loss  by  death  of  their  old  minister — and 
the  erection  of  a  new,  larger,  and  more  perfect  build- 
ing, and  the  settlement,  by  almost  unanimous  vote, 
of  a  new  pastor  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  well  recom- 
mended hj  tlie  churches  for  ability,  piety,  and  pru- 
dence. 

The  last  tax  raised  for  the  completion  of  the  meet- 
ing-house, Avas  voted  at  an  adjourned  meeting  held 
on  the  10th  day  of  December,  1804 — Captain  Hez- 
ekiah  Bissell  being  moderator. 

"  Voted,  To  raise  two  cents  five  mills  on  the  dol- 
lar, on  the  list  of  1804,  to  enable  the  committee  to 
complete  the  meeting-house,  to  be  paid  on  the  1st 
dav  of  Mav,  1805. 

Voted,  Phinehas  Blodgett  collector,  to  collect  the 
above  tax." 

In  1841  the  question  began  to  be  agitated,  what 
should  be  done  to  make  our  meeting-house  more 
decent  as  a  place  of  worship  ?  It  had  never  been 
whitewashed  or  painted  within  since  its  erection.  It 
had  become  not  only  unsightly  in  appearance,  but 
really  filthy.  The  square  pews  along  the  wall  of 
the  galleries,  which  had  been  assigned  to  the  j^ounger 
portion  of  the  congregation — a  very  unhappy  device 
— had  attracted  more  and  more  the  notice  of  those 
who  had  the  respect  to  the  proprieties  of  worship, 
in  consequence  of  the  facility  afforded  the  young  and 
thoughtless  in  conduct  unbecoming  the  house  of  God, 
disturbing  the  serious  minded,  and  effectually  hin- 
dering whatever  good  they  themselves  might  be  in 

4 


38 

the  way  of  receiving.  The  square  pews  l:>elow  were 
also  not  so  convenient  nor  agreeable  as  they  had 
been  when  square  pews  were  fashionable.  The 
seats  were  too  narrow  and  the  sides  too  high,  and  as 
cleaning  the  house  and  painting  it  would  not  remedy 
this  evil  nor  some  others  which  ])egan  to  be  more 
apparent  as  the  subject  was  examined,  it  was  seri- 
ouslv  agitated  at  last  to  make  a  thorouo;h  alteration 
or  to  build  anew. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1841,  at  a  meeting  of 
the  society  called  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the 
subject,  it  was  unanimously  resolved  that  a  commit- 
tee be  appointed  to  make  thorough  examination  of 
churches  in  the  vicinity  which  had  been  remodeled 
within  a  few  years ;  to  recommend  some  plan  for 
action ;  and  to  ascertain  at  what  cost  such  change 
as  they  should  present,  might  be  accomplished. 
This  committee  consisted  of  Chester  Belknap,  Esq., 
John  W.  Stoughton,  Esq.,  and  Azel  S.  Roe. 

On  the  13tli  of  December,  1841,  this  commit- 
tee made  a  report  in  accordance  with  their  judg- 
ment, and  presented  a  draft  of  the  alteration  pro- 
posed to  be  made,  with  an  estimate  of  the  expense. 
Whereupon  it  was  voted  that  leave  be  given  to 
Daniel  Chapin,  Esq.,  John  W.  Stoughton,  Esq.,  and 
Mr.  Stephen  Po twine,  in  conjunction  with  the  socie- 
ty's regular  committee,  to  make  such  alteration  ac- 
cording to  the  plan  proposed,  provided  it  could  be 
done  without  any  expense  to  the  society. 

Of  course  the  vote  thus  passed  had  in  view  to 
make  the  proposed  alteration  by  subscription,  as 
some  members  were  not  in  favor  of  any  change,  and 


39 

did  not  like  to  be  taxed  for  an  object  they  did  not 
approve.  Two  thousand  dollars  were  required  to 
do  the  work.  At  once  a  paper  was  handed  for  sub- 
scription, and  in  a  day  or  so  about  one  thousand 
dollars  was  gained,  and  after  great  exertions  it  at 
length  arose  to  twelve  hundred  dollars;  when  the 
hopes  of  the  most  sanguine  friends  of  the  measure 
began  to  flag.  There  seemed  to  be  insuperable  dif- 
ficulties in  the  way.  Many  were  ready  to  give  some- 
thing if  it  was  to  be  accomplished  ;  but  they  felt  no 
favor  to  it,  and  would  not  aid  unless  it  became  very 
evident  that  the  thing  would  succeed.  At  length 
an  ardent  friend  to  the  measure  proposed  to  double 
his  subscription,  which  already  amounted  to  one 
himdred  dollars — others  joined  with  him  and  offered 
to  increase  theirs — thus  three-fourths  of  the  sum 
was  ensured,  and  those  who  did  not  wish  to  enjoy  a 
benefit  which  they  had  no  hand  in  providing,  came 
forward,  and  the  amount  was  soon  completed. 

The  accomplishment  of  the  proposed  plan  resulted, 
we  believe,  in  yery  general  satisfaction.  It  afforded 
a  neat  and  convenient  place  for  worship,  and  also  a 
commodious  room  for  the  Sabbath  school,  and  pre- 
vented the  necessity  of  polluting  our  sanctuary  by 
such  meetings  as  are  not  connected  with  the  worship 
of  God. 

The  new  room  was  consecrated  by  the  venerable 
Pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Bartlett,  by  a  solemn  act  of  wor- 
ship, in  which  all  the  congregation  arose,  and  by 
his  and  their  act,  dedicated  it  to  the  service  of  Jeho- 
vah, to  be  a  temple  purely  for  prayer  and  praise  and 
holy  teaching. 


40 


BKLL   AND   CLOCK. 

The  bell  and  clock  were  presented  to  the  society 
as  a  donation,  and  the  following  is  the  first  notice  of 
them  on  record : 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  second  ecclesiastical  society, 
legally  warned,  and  held  on  the  second  day  of  Octo- 
ber, 1809 : 

Voted,  Caleb  Booth,  Esq.,  moderator.  Asahel 
Stiles,  society  clerk.  Captain  Noah  Allen,  Deacon 
Daniel  Porter,  and  Lieutenant  John  Morton,  society 
committee. 

Voted,  That  whereas  sundry  individuals  belong- 
ing to  the  second  ecclesiastical  society  in  East  Wind- 
sor, have  provided,  by  free  donation,  a  bell  and  also 
a  clock,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  said  society,  and 
have  freely  presented  the  same  by  their  committees  ; 
therefore. 

Resolved,  That  this  society  cordially  and  grate- 
fully accept  the  donation  and  return  them  their 
sincere  thanks  for  the  same,  and  also  to  the  respect- 
ive committees  for  their  trouble  and  attention  to  this 
business." 

The  bell  and  clock  were  no  doubt  put  into  '  their 
respective  places  immediately,  for  we  find  provision 
made  for  ringing  the  bell  and  taking  care  of  the 
clock,  at  this  same  meeting,  in  the  following  vote  : 

"  Voted,  To  raise  twenty-two  dollars,  to  be  paid  to 
Mr.  Thomas  Tarbox  for  ringing  tlie  bell  and  taking 
care  of  the  clock." 

The  regulations  for  ringing  the  bell  were  not  made 
until  1812.  At  a  meeting  held  in  October  of  that 
year,  it  was 

"  Voted,  That  the  following  shall  be  the  regula- 
tions for  ringing  the  bell : 

The  bell  shall  be  rung  at  12  o'clock  in  tlie  day, 


41 

and  nine  at  night,  five  minutes  each  time.  After 
ringing  the  bell  at  nine  at  night,  to  toll  the  day  of 
the  month. 

It  shall  ring  every  Sabbath  morning  at  half  past 
nine  o'clock,  fifteen  minutes.  It  shall  ring  at  meet- 
ing time  five  minutes,  and'  then  toll  until  the  min- 
ister comes  and  enters  the  desk. 

In  like  manner  before  a  lecture. 

It  shall  ring  for  a  death  five  minutes  ;  for  a  male 
above  ten  years  old,  it  shall  strike  three  times  three 
strokes  ;  for  a  female  over  ten  years  of  age,  it  shall 
strike  tliree  times  two  strokes  ;  and  for  a  child  under 
ten  years  of  age,  three  strokes ;  and  then  it  shall 
strike  the  age  of  the  person  deceased ;  and  then  it 
shall  be  tolled  fifteen  minutes.  It  shall  be  tolled  at 
a  funeral  when  requested. 

It  is  not  to  be  tolled  for  a  death  after  the  sun 
is  down." 

We  find  no  mention  made  of  stoves  for  warming 

the  meeting-house  until  1825.     At  a  meeting  held 

in  October  of  that  year,  Mr.  Chester  Belknap  being 

moderator,  it  was 
^^ 

"  Voted,  To  give  liberty  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 

second  society  in  East  Windsor,  to  put  a  stove  or 

stoves  into  the  meeting-house,  provided  they  shall  be 

the  property  of  the  society  so  long  as  the  society 

shall  suffer  them  to  remain  in  said  house." 

.Nothing,  however,  was  done  in  accomplishing  what 
now  seems  such  an  absolute  necessity  for  comfort  in 
the  house  of  worship,  until  another  year  had  passed. 

A  meeting  was  held  on  the  2oth  day  of  December, 
1826,  which  was  adjourned  to  the  2d  day  of  January, 
182T,  when  Timothy  Ellsworth,  Esq.,  being  chosen 
moderator,  it  was 
4* 


^    42 

"  Voted,  To  raise  three-fourths  of  a  cent  on  a  dol- 
lar, to  defray  the  expenses  of  putting  up  stoves  and 
pipes  into  the  meeting-house — to  provide  fuel  for 
the  same,  and  a  man  to  attend  to  the  stoves." 


SEATING   THE   MEETING-HOUSE. 
t 

The  first  notice  in  regard  to  pews  is  recorded  at  a 
meeting  of  the  society  in  December,  1759,  when  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  finish  the  meeting-house 
with  pews.  Whether  the  committee  completed  the 
work,  is  doubtful,  for  no  mention  is  made  of  their 
doings,  nor  was  any  money  voted  for  that  purpose. 
In  1769,  eighty  pounds  was  raised  for  the  purpose  of 
finishing  the  meeting-house,  and  Ensign  Lemuel 
Stoughton,  Captain  Jonatlian  Bartlett,  and  Simeon 
Wolcott,  were  appointed  committee  to  carry  the  vote 
into  effect.  The  next  year,  10th  day  of  December, 
1770,  is  the  first  notice  we  have  of  seating  the  meet- 
ing-house, so  that  in  all  probability  the  pews  were 
not  completed  until  that  period. 

The  persons  selected  for  that  purpose  were  James 
Harper,  Simeon  Wolcott,  John  Thompson,  Jr.,  En- 
sign Lemuel  Stoughton,  and  John  Prior ;  and  the 
meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  first  Monday  in  Feb- 
ruary following,  for  the  express  purpose  of  hearing 
their  report.     The  report  was  accepted. 

In  December,  1785,  a  committee  was  again  ap- 
pointed for  the  same  purpose  ;  and  at  an  adjourned 
meeting  held  on  the  second  Monday  of  January  fol- 
lowing, the  report  of  that  committee  was  heard  and 
accepted.     The  persons  appointed  for  that  purpose 


431 

were  Captain  Hezekiah  Bissell,  Major  Lemuel  Stough- 
ton,  Captain  Caleb  Booth,  Joseph  Allen,  Esq.,  and 
Ebenezer  Watson,  Jr. 

In  December,  1790,  it  was 

"  Voted,  That  the  committee  that  seated  the  meet- 
ing-house the  last  time,  be  a  committee  to  seat  those 
persons  who  have  come  into  the  society  since  the 
meeting-house  was  last  seated." 

In  January,  1794,  a  committee  was  again  ap- 
pointed to  seat  the  house,  and  on  the  1st  April  fol- 
lowing their  report  was  accepted. 

The  last  order  for  seating  the  old  house  was  made 
at  a  regular  society  meeting  held  on  the  6th  day  of 
October,  1800. 

Samuel  Stiles,  Samuel  Bartlett,  Thomas  Potwine, 
Jr.,  Benjamin  Loomis,  James  Chamberlaine,  Stod- 
ant  Ellsworth  and  John  Pasco  were  the  committee 
appointed  for  that  purpose.  The  meeting  was  ad- 
journed to  the  first  Monday  of  February  following, 
to  hear  their  report. 

At  that  adjourned  meeting  the  following  question 
was  put  to  the  society  by  the  moderator,  Capt. 
Hezekiah  Bissell : 

"  Do  you  accept  the  doings  of  your  committee  in 
seating  the  meeting-house  ? " 

"  Voted  in  the  affirmative." 

After  the  erection  of  the  new  meeting-house,  in 
1802,  nothing  was  done  in  reference  to  seating  the 
house  for  twenty-four  years.  When  the  congrega- 
tion took  possession  of  the  new  pews  they  probably 
seated  themselves  according  to  some  principle  which 
had  been  established  during  their  occupancy  of  the 


44      • 

old  house.  It  must,  at  least,  have  been  an  arrange- 
ment satisfactory  to  the  larger  part  of  the  society, 
or  it  would  not  have  been  continued  so  long  without 
some  attempt  to  alter  it.  The  first  notice  of  any 
movement  on  the  subject  is  recorded  at  a  meeting 
of  the  society  held  the  2nd  of  October,  1826. 

At  that  meeting  Timothy  Ellsworth,  Esq.  was 
chosen  moderator,  and  Capt.  Simeon  Barber,  Lieut. 
Eli  Morton  and  Daniel  Chapin,  society's  committee. 

"  Voted,  That  the  society's  committe  be  directed 
to  embrace  in  their  warning  at  the  next  annual  meet- 
ing, to  see  if  the  society  will  lease  the  pews  in  tlie 
meeting-house  in  this  society  for  one  year — or 
whether  they  will  do  anything  relating  to  selling  the 
pews  or  seating  the  meeting-house." 

The  society,  however,  seems  to  have  been  greatly 
divided  in  opinion  on  that  subject,  as  well  as  others, 
and  after  several  adjourned  meetings  the  matter  was 
finally  dropped  until  1832,  when  at  the  regular  meet- 
ing, held  on  the  7th  of  October,  of  that  year,  Jona- 
than Bartlett,  Esq.,  being  moderator,  Chester  Belk- 
nap, Esq.,  clerk  and  treasurer — Simeon  Barber, 
John  Bissell,  Esq.,  2nd,  and  Moses  Osborn,  society 
committee." 

The  following  resolution  was  passed  : 

"  Voted,  To  lease  the  pews  for  one  year  to  raise 
money  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  society  the  cur- 
rent year  and  to  discharge  the  debts  now  due  from 
the  society. 

Voted,  That  Messrs.  Moses  Osborn,  John  Bis- 
sell, Esq.,  Ira  Wells,  Samuel  Bartlett,  Esq.,  and 
Simeon  Barber,  be  a  committee  for  the  above  pur- 
pose." 


45 

This  committee  made  report  at  an  adjourned  meet- 
ing held  in  November,  which  was  accepted,  and  the 
sale  of  the  pews  accordingly  made — and  this  method 
of  seating  the  meeting-house  has  been  since  usually 
adopted  with  slight  variations. 

SINGING. 

Attention  to  singing,  as  a  part  of  the  worship  of 
the  sanctuary,  has  always  been  held  among  this  peo- 
ple as  of  great  importance,  and  very  early  in  the 
history  of  the  society  we  find  the  subject  alluded  to 
and  provision  made  for  its  maintenance. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society  in  December,  1758, 
among  other  resolutions  for  the  good  of  the  society, 
we  find  the  following  : 

"  Voted,  To  raise  eight  pounds  to  hire  Mr.  Beal 
or  Mr.  Wilson  to  teach  us  to  sing." 

What  method  these  gentlemen  adopted  in  their 
term  of  instruction  we  can  not  now  say,  but  it  ap- 
pears some  years  afterwards,  the  society  thought  it 
necessary  to  pass  a  resolution  which  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  service  had  been  performed  pretty 
much  "  ad  libitum." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society  in  April,  1771,  it  was 

"  Voted,  To  introduce  singing  by  rule  in  the  con- 
gregation." 

This  resolution  it  woiild  seem  did  not  meet  with 
approbation,  for  at  a  meeting  of  the  society  next 
year  it  was  in  effect  rescinded,  as  follows : 

"  Voted,  Not  to  act  upon  the  article  of  singing  in 
the  congregation." 


46 

There  were,  doubtless,  wise  men  among  them,  who 
as  soon  as  they  perceived  what  testy  folks  singers 
were,  resolved  to  let  them  have  tlieir  own  way — 
either  to  sing  in  unison  or  each  one  on  their  own 
hook,  merely  insisting  upon  the  following  regulation, 
which  should  be  in  force  for  one  year : 

"  Voted,  To  sing  in  the  congregation  without 
reading  line  by  line,  a  part  of  the  time,  not  exceed- 
ing one  half,  until,  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the 
society." 

At  the  next  annual  meeting  it  was 

"  Voted,  To  continue  the  singing  in  the  congre- 
gation as  agreed  upon  at  the  last  meeting." 

No  further  attempt  was  made  to  interfere  with  the 
singing  until  1794. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society,  held  in  January  of 
that  year,  the  following  resolution  was  passed : 

"  Voted,  To  raise  one  farthing  on  the  pound  on 
the  list  of  1793,  for  the  purpose  of  hiring  a  singing- 
master  to  instruct  in  the  rules  and  art  of  singing 
Psalms,  so  that  singing  in  Divine  worship  may  be 
performed  decently  and  orderly  in  this  society." 

The  peculiar  wording  of  this  resolution  rather 
leaves  an  impression  upon  the  mind  that  things 
were  not  in  respect  to  that  department  of  the  exer- 
cises just  as  they  should  have  been.  And  the  society 
appears  now  to  be  in  earnest  to  correct  the  evil,  for 
at  the  next  annual  meeting  another  farthing  on  the 
pound  was  raised,  and  Major  Caleb  Booth  empow- 
ered to  hire  a  singing-master  for  the  winter. 

Again  in  1796,  a  vote  was  passed  to  raise  one-half 
penny  on  the  pound  for  the  purpose  of  hiring  a 
teacher  ''  to  learn  the  inhabitants  of  this  society  the 


47 

rules  of  singing  psalms  in  the  congregation,"  and 
Daniel  Osborn  was  appointed  a  committee  to  carry 
the  resolution  into  effect. 

The  last  singing  school  for  the  benefit  of  worship 
in  the  old  church,  was  in  the  winter  of  1800  and 
1801. 

At  a  meeting  held  6th  October,  1800,  it  was 

"  Voted,  To  raise  two  mills  on  the  dollar,  on  the 
list  of  1800,  for  the  use  of  hiring  a  singing-master 
the  ensuing  winter. 

Voted,  That  Capt.  Asaliel  Stiles  should  procure  a 
singing  master." 

Since  the  erection  of  the  last  meeting-house,  and 
during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Bartlett,  singing  schools 
were  enjoyed  every  few  years  ;  the  pastor  himself 
always  attended  them,  for  he  not  only  took  great 
delight  in  sacred  music,  but  he  believed  that  the 
meeting  together  of  the  younger  part  of  the  congre- 
gation to  engage  in  this  exercise  had  a  happy  influ- 
ence on  their  minds,  and  he  has  often  been  heard  to 
say  that  he  could  date  the  beginnings  of  several 
revivals  of  religion  from  the  close  of  the  singing- 
schools.  His  prayerful  watch  over  them  did,  no 
doubt,  much  to  prevent  the  evils  which  have  come 
upon  other  ecclesiastical  societies  from  this  source. 
Long  may  our  choir  remember  that  they  have  been 
subjects  of  most  intense  mterest  in  the  prayers  not 
only  of  him  who  has  lately  been  buried  from  their 
sight,  but  doubtless  of  him  also  who  first  proclaimed 
the  gospel  in  this  place. 

Nearly  a  century  had  elapsed  since  the  formation 
of  the  society  and  the  settlement  of  their  first  pas- 
tor, the  Rev.  Mr.  Potwine.     For  almost  half  a  cen- 


48 

tury  he  had  held  his  station,  until  the  infirmities  of 
age  laid  him  aside,  and  the  hand  of  death  finally 
separated  him  from  the  people  of  his  charge.  His 
successor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bartlett,  although  a  young 
man  at  his  settlement,  in  1847,  began  to  feel  the  in- 
firmities of  age,  and  both  himself  and  those  over 
whom  he  was  placed,  became  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  an  associate  in  his  labors  would  be  conducive  to 
his  own  comfort,  and  the  welfare  of  his  people.  After 
taking  the  matter  into  serious  consideration,  he 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  society's  committee  the 
following  communication : 

"  To  Messrs.  Ira  Wells,  John  Bissell,  and  A.  C. 
Stiles,  the  Committee,  and  Chester  Belknap,  Clerk 
and  Treasurer  of  the  First  Ecclesiastical  Society  in 
East  Windsor,  26th  May,  1847. 

"  It  has  been  proposed  by  some  of  you,  and  some 
others,  of  my  pastoral  charge,  that  in  considera- 
tion of  my  advanced  age,  and  gradually  increasing 
infirmities  by  reason  of  age,  there  should  be  sought 
and  settled  with  me  a  colleague  pastor  to  aid  me  in 
the  arduous  and  multiplied  duties  of  the  pastoral 
office  among  this  people. 

"  With  my  sober  judgment  and  my  heart  I  ap- 
prove of  this  plan,  and  hereby  express  to  you,  as 
officers  of  this  society,  my  free  and  full  consent 
that  this  should  be  done  as  soon  as  with  proper 
watchfulness  and  prayer,  and  with  appropriate  labors 
on  the  part  of  all  concerned,  it  may  please  God  in 
his  holy  and  wise  Providence  to  permit.  Praying 
that  all  concerned  may  have  all  needed  help  from 
God  in  this  important  matter,  and  the  continued 
blessing  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  I  am,  my 
beloved  brethren  and  friends, 

Your  affectionate  Pastor, 

Shubael  Bartlett." 


49 

This  letter  was  laid  before  the  society  at  a  meet- 
ing warned  for  the  purpose  24th  August,  1847, 
when  the  following  resolutions  were  passed  : 

"  Voted,  That  the  Society  deem  it  expedient  to 
concur  in  the  proposition  of  our  Pastor  as  commu- 
nicated in  the  above  letter. 

Voted,  That  a  committee  of  three  persons  be 
chosen  to  act  in  unison  with  a  committee  of  the 
church  to  carry  into  effect  the  above  resolution. 

Voted,  That  the  present  society's  committee  act 
for  that  purpose — consisting  of  Ira  Wells,  John  Bis- 
sell  and  A.  C.  Stiles." 

The  two  committees  of  the  church  and  society, 
selected  two  of.  their  number,  John  Bissell,  Esq. 
and  John  W.  Stoughton,  Esq.,  to  look  out  for  and 
select  some  person  as  a  suitable  candidate,  and  they 
having  invited  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Andrews  to 
preach  as  such  to  the  p'eople,  a  decided  expression 
in  his  favor  was  almost  immediately  made,  and  at 
a  meeting  regularly  w^arned  for  the  special  purpose, 
on  the  22nd  July,  1848 — Nelson  S.  Osborn  being 
chosen  chairman,  and  Fayette  W.  Blodgett,  clerk 
"  pro  tem,"  the  following  resolutions  were  passed  : 

"  Voted,  That  this  society  in  common  with  the 
church  as  expressed  by  their  vote,  do  entertain  the 
fullest  confidence  in  the  character,  talents  and  quali- 
iications  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Andrews  to  fill  the 
place  of  associate  pastor  with  the  Rev.  Shubael 
Bartlett  over  this  church  and  people. 

Voted,  That  we  do  hereby  concur  with  the 
church  in  a  unanimous  invitation  to  Rev.  Samuel 
J.  Andrews,  to  settle  with  us  as  an  associate  pastor 


50 

in  the  ministry  with  the  Rev.  Shubael  Bartlett,  over 
this  churcli  and  society. 

Voted,  That  this  society,  as  a  compensation  for 
his  services,  offer  to  pay  Mr.  Andrews  the  sum  of 
seven  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  in  equal  sums,  at 
the  end  of  every  half  year  during  the  time  of  his 
settlement  with  us. 

Voted,  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting 
and  the  action  of  the  committee  appointed  to  carry 
them  into  effect,  together  with  the  answer  of  Mr. 
Andrews,  be  officially  communicated  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Bartlett,  our  pastor,  and  that  they  express  to 
him  the  undiminished  feeling  and  esteem  of  this 
society." 

The  committee  thus  officially  instructed,  presented 
the  proposals  of  the  church  and  society  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Andrews,  and  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  doing 
it  with  the  unanimous  vote  of  both  the  church  and 
society.     The  following  letter  was  received  in  reply  : 

"  HousATONic,  August  3rd,  1848. 

To  the  Committee  of  the  First  Congregational 
Society  in  East  Windsor  : 

Gentlemen : — Your   letter   informing   me  of  the 

action  of  your  church  and  society  was  duly  received, 

and  I  hereby  accept  the  invitation  to  become  your 

associate  Pastor. 

I  trust  that  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  will 
make  this  relation,  if  in  his  good  pl(|asure  it  shall 
be  formed,  a  source  of  blessing  to  us  individually,  of 
good  to  his  church,  and  of  glory  to  his  name. 
I  am,  truly  yours, 

SAMUEL  J.  ANDREWS." 


51 

To  Messrs.  Daniel  Chapin,  )  Comimttee 

John  W.  Stoughton,    >    of  the 
Chauncey  Ellsworth,  )  Chvrch. 

And  to  Ira  Wells,      \ 

John  Bissell,  >  Com.  of  the  Society.'" 
A.  C.  Stiles,   ) 

111  October  following,  Mr.  Andrews  was  solemnly 
ordained  and  installed  to  his  sacred  office,  and  com- 
menced his  peculiar  and  responsible  duties  for  which 
by  nature,  and  more  especially  by  the  grace  of  God 
he  was  in  an  eminent  degree  qualified. 

The  last  act  of  the  society  in  reference  to  their 
old  pastor,  the  Rev,  Mr.  Bartlett,  is  recorded  at  a 
meeting  held  in  November  1854,  as  follows : 

"  Whereas,  In  the  Providence  of  God  our  highly 
Jfeteemed  minister.  Rev.  Shubael  Bartlett,  has  been 
removed  by  death,  and  the  society  being  desirous  to 
make  a  lasting  expression  to  his  memory,  therefore, 
resolved,  that  as  a  token  of  respect  to  the  deceased, 
to  the  aged  and  highly  esteemed  widow  and  other 
members  of  the  family,  the  sum  not  exceeding  one 
hundred  dollars  be  appropriated  by  this  society  for 
the  erection  of  a  suitable  monument  to  the  memory 
of  the  deceased." 

school  society. 

.  Next  to  the  establishment  of  religious  worship  in 
a  community,  the  school-house  ranks  as  most  im- 
portant, and  the  records  of  this  society  show  from 
its  commencement  a  commendable  interest  in  that 
subject. 

The  first  amount  raised  by  tax  for  schooling  was 
twenty  pounds,  while  the  salary  paid  to  Rev.  Mr. 
Potwine  was  sixty  pounds.     This  was  in  1753,  4,  5, 


52 

6,  and  so  on,  increasing  every  few  years  in  amount 
until  1782,  when  the  same  amount  was  raised  for 
schooling  as  for  the  minister's  salary.  After  that 
year  we  cannot  define  the  exact  amount  Raised,  as  a 
tax  was  laid  of  two  pence  on  the  pound  on  all  rate- 
able property  in  the  town,  and  thus  thereafter  con- 
tinued until  1795.  The  subject  of  schooling  was 
taken  charge  of  with  the  same  care  and  interest  as 
the  support  of  the  ministry.  Some  resolution  con- 
nected with  the  schools  was  passed  at  every  regular 
meeting.  The  whole  bounds  of  the  society  were 
separated  into  districts,  and  persons  living  in  one 
district  could  not  have  the  advantage  of  the  school 
out  of  their  boundaries  although  possibly  much  more 
convenient,  without  a  vote  of  the  society,  as  the  fol- 
lowing extracts  from  the  records  will  show :  4 
At  a  meeting  of  the  society  held  the  11th  Dec, 
1769, 

"  Voted,  Daniel  Osborn  shall  belong  to  the  south 
school  in  the  street  for  three  years  from  and  after 
this  date,  and  that  his  school-rate  shall  be  set  to  that 
school." 

Again,  a  few  years  later,  it  was 

"  Voted,  That  Daniel  Osborn  shall  belong  to  the 
south  district  of  schooling  in  the  street,  one  year 
from  date,  and  his  money  to  be  set  to  that  school  for 
said  limited  time — and  that  Samuel  Osborn,  Jr., 
shall  belong  to  the  middle  district  of  schooling  east 
of  Scantic,  in  the  woods,  and  his  money  spent  in 
said  school  accordingly." 

The  first  school-houses  appear  to  have  been  erected 
in  Main-street,  of  which  there  were  two,  probably 
erected  at  nearly  the  same  time.     The  first  regular 


53 

districting  of  the  whole  parish  took  place  in  1766. 
A  committee  consisting  of  Ebenezer  Bliss,  David 
Skinner  and  Lemuel  Stoughton,  was  appointed  for 
that  purpose,  and  their  report  is  dated  27th  Feb., 
1766.  The  substance  of  it,  so  far  as  can  be  gathered 
from  the  instrument  on  record,  is  as  follows  : 

"  That  there  shall  be  four  schools,  viz : 

1st.  On  the  west  side  of  Scantic  River  to  compre- 
hend all  north  of  the  medting-house,  west  of  said 
river  to  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Great  River. 

2nd.  East  of  Scantic,  to  comprehend  all  east  of 
said  river,  south  of  the  center  line  and  west  of  the 
land  called  '  sequestered  land.' 

3rd.  To  comprehend  all  east  of  Scantic  River, 
north  to  Enfield. 

4th.  To  comprehend  all  west  of  Scantic  River, 
and  south  of  the  meeting-house,  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  the  Great  River." 

Those  who  understood  the  bounds  of  the  parish, 
will  be  able  to  estimate,  from  these  data,  the  distan- 
ces which  their  ancestors  when  children,  had  to 
travel  through  storms  and  cold  to  the  places  where 
the  rudiments  of  their  education  must  be  obtained ; 
to  some  of  them,  at  least,  it  was  a  practical  illustra- 
tion of  "  knowledge  being  obtained  under  diffi- 
culties." 

The  teachers  must  also  have  had  their  share  of 

patience  and  industry,  and  been  willing  to  do  much 

for  small  pay — for  at  this  period,  thirty  pounds  was 

all  the  money  raised  for  the  'support  of  schools,  and 

that  was  paid  in  grain — wheat  4^,  rye  3^,  and  Indian 

corn  2s  per  bushel. 

In  December,  1770,  a  committee  was  appointed 
5* 


54 

"  to  view  the  situation  of  the  two  districts  of  school- 
ing in  the  street,  and  if  they  think  proper,  that  thej 
should  Ijc  divided  and  made  into  three  districts." 
The  persons  appointed  were  all  Bissels, — "  Mr.  Noah 
Bissell,  Lieut.  Aaron  Bissell,  and  Mr.  David  Bis- 
sell" — and  the  meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  follow- 
ing February. 

But  at  the  adjourned  meeting  the  report  was  not 
accepted. 

In  December,  1771,  a  new  district  was  set  off 
east  of  Scantic,  viz. : 

"  Voted ^  To  make  a  district  of  schooling  of  the 
south-east  corner  of  the  society,  extending  north  of 
Ketch  Brook,  to  include  Simeon  Barber  and  Roger 
Loomis,  and  extending  west  to  the  east  end  of  the 
three  mile  lots,  including  Jerijah  Bissell  who  lives 
on  the  east  end  of  said  lots,  and  to  extend  east  and 
south  to  the  bounds  of  the  society." 

In  February,  1772,  a  reconsideration  took  place  of 
the  "  Bissell  Committee,"  whose  report  in  reference 
to  a  division  of  the  street  districts  had  the  year 
before  been  rejected. 

The  vote  passed  is  as  follows : 

"  Voted,  To  establish  the  doings  of  Messrs.  Noah 
Bissell,  Aaron  Bissell,  and  David  Bissell,  appointed 
by  the  society  to  view  the  situation  of  the  two  dis- 
tricts of  schools  in  the  street." 

The  report,  however,  which  they  made,  it  will  not 
be  necessary  to  relate  here,  for  although  it  was  ac- 
cepted and  ordered  to  be  put  upon  the  records  of 
the  society,  it  appears  not  to  have  been  universally 
approved,  and   as   their   laws  when  passed  do  not 


65 

seem  to  have  been  of  the  character  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  they  in  a  very  short  vote  at  their  next 
meeting  nullified  the  proceedings,  viz. : 

"  Voted,  To  make  but  two  districts  of  schooling 
in  the  street." 

As  there  had  been  two  previous  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  "  Bissell  Committee,"  it  amounts  to  the 
same  as  deciding  to  let  things  remain  in  statu  quo — 
and  thus  matters  remained  until  1781 — when  a 
Committee  was  appointed  to  arrange  all  the  districts 
as  they  thought  best  and  report  to  the  society.  On 
the  31st  December,  1781,  the  committee  made  re- 
port, of  which  we  give  the  opening  and  the  close : 

"  To  the  inhabitants  of  the  third  society  in  East 
Windsor  convened  in  society  meeting. 

Gentlemen  :— Whereas,  at  your  last  society  meet- 
ing you  made  choice  of  the  subscribers  as  a  commit- 
tee to  view  and  consider  the  circumstances  of  the 
school  districts  and  see  if  increasing  the  number  of 
the  districts  will  be  best  and  advisable — therefore, 
having  viewed,  heard  the  pleas  and  arguments,  and 
considered  the  case,  now  beg  leave  to  report  our 
opinion  on  the  premises." 

After  dividing  the  parish  into  six  districts — three 
on  the  east  of  Scantic  and  three  on  the  west — and 
running  the  several  boundaries,  they  close  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  All  which  is  submitted  to  your  )  Wishing  you 
better  wisdom  by  your  most  >  the  blessing 
obedient  humble  servants,       )  of  peace. 

Aaron  Bissell, 

Amasa  Loomis,    \  Committee.''^ 

Thomas  Foster, 


56 

The  above  report  was  accepted  with  the  following 
alterations,  viz.  : 

"  That  Samuel  Bartlett  be  set  and  belong  to  the 
school  district  north  of  the  highway  between  Israel 
Stiles  and  said  Bartlett — and  that  John  Bartlett  be 
set  and  belong  to  the  south  district  of  schools  west 
of  Scantic  River  in  the  woods — and  that  William 
Bartlett,  now  living  at  Scantic  Mills,  belong  to  the 
school  district  east  of  Scantic  Biver,  as  reported." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  north  society,  held  in  Decem- 
ber, 1789,  a  petition  was  presented  from  the  inhab- 
itants of  Warehouse  Point  to  be  set  off  as  a  distinct 
school  district.  The  petition  was  granted  and  the 
bounds  defined  as  follows  : 

"  Beo'innintT  at  the  north-west  corner  bounds  of 
East  Windsor,  then  running  south  along  the  line  of 
Connecticut  River  to  the  south  side  of  a  lot  of  land 
lately  owned  by  Timothy  Thrall,  then  east  by  the 
south  line  of  said  land  within  forty  rods  of  the  Cov- 
entry road,  then  north  the  same  distance  from  said 
road  to  Enfield  line,  then  west  to  the  first-mentioned 
bounds." 

In  December,  1793,  at  a  meeting  of  the  society, 
it  was 

"  Voted,  That  the  south-east  district  of  schooling 
commonly  called  Ketch-Mill  district  be  divided,  and 
the  Ketch-Brook  as  it  runs  through  said  district  be 
a  dividing  line  of  said  district." 

The  last  act  which  appears  upon  record  of  this 
ecclesiastical  society  in  reference  to  common  schools, 
is  dated  9th  day  of  November,  1795.  The  usual 
two  pence  on  the  pound  was  voted  for  the  use  of 
schooling  for  the  coming  year,  and  the  usual  com- 


57 

mittee  of  twelve  persons  chosen  to  collect  the  money 
and  superintend  the  schools.  Some  change,  no 
doubt,  took  place  by  act  of  Legislature  which  took 
the  management  of  schools  from  the  society  as  an 
ecclesiastical  body,  for  we  read  no  more  concerning 
schools  in  any  of  their  records. 

SOCIETY    FUND. 

The  first  mention  of  any  fund  for  the  support  of 
the  Gospel  ministry  in  this  parish,  appears  to  be  a 
sum  left  by  Capt.  Samuel  Stiles. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society  on  the  4th  day  of 
October,  1813,  the  following  resolution  was  passed  : 

"  Voted,  That  the  society  committee  be  directed 
to  receive  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars  given  to 
this  society  by  the  last  will  of  Capt.  Samuel  Stiles, 
deceased,  and  dispose  of  the  same  according  to  the 
tenor  of  said  instrument." 

And,  year  by  year,  after  this,  we  find  the  interest 
of  this  fund  used  in  part  for  the  payment  of  the  min- 
ister's salary — at  first  as  an  addition  to  the  regular 
salary  on  account  of  the  high  price  to  which  the 
necessaries  of  life  had  risen,  and  thus  it  'was  con- 
tinued until  1820. 

The  next  addition  to  the  fund  appears  to  have 
been  received  from  the  State  and  is  called  the  State 
Fund — the  record  concerning  it  was  made  at  a 
society's  meeting  held  the  6th  day  of  October,  1818, 
as  follows  : 

"  Voted,  That  the  State  Fimd  received  at  Hart- 
ford in  December  last,  by  the  society  committee,  and 


58 

interest  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  dollars,  be  put  at  interest  and  remain  as  a  fund 
for  the  support  of  the  Gospel  ministry  in  this  society 
during  the  pleasure  of  this  society." 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  held  on  the  2nd  day  of 
January,  1827,  we  find  the  first  notice  of  the  Bart- 
lett  Fund  : 

"  Voted,  To  accept  of  the  donation  given  by  Mr. 

Samuel   Bartlett,  of  one   thousand   dollars,  to   the 

second  society  in  East  Windsor,  under  its  restric- 
tions." 

The  following  extract  from  the  will  of  Mr.  Bart- 
lett, will  show  the  nature  of  the  donation  and  the 
restrictions  above  referred  to  : 

"  And  wishing  to  perpetuate  a  regular  Gospel  min- 
istry, I  will  that  my  executor  pay  as  a  donation  which 
I  now  make  to  the  second  ecclesiastical  society  in  East 
Windsor  to  which  I  belong,  the  sum  of  one  thousand 
dollars  under  the  following  restrictions,  viz. :  That 
this  donation  shall  be  kept  at  annual  interest  until 
principal  and  interest  shall  amount  to  four  thousand 
dollars,  and  when  the  whole  sum  shall  amount  to 
the  aforesaid  sum  of  four  thousand  dollars,  the 
interest  arising  thereon  shall  be  applied  annually 
towards  paying  the  minister's  salary  in  the  society, 
leaving  the  principal  of  four  thousand  dollars  entire 
with  the  following  conditions  being  complied  with, 
viz. : 

1st.  That  said  society  keep  and  maintain  a  decent 
meeting-house  in  which  to  perform  public  worship. 

2nd.  The  said  meeting-house  to  be  the  sole  and 
entire  property  of  said  society. 

3rd.  That  said  society  shall  not  at  any  time  be 
destitute  of  an  ordained  minister  more  than  two 
years,  which  minister  shall  be  a  learned  man  of  true 


59 

orthodox  principles  , according  to  the  sense  in  which 
our  forefathers  maintained  the  same. 

4th.  They  shall  not  pay  any  of  the  interest  arising 
on  this  donation  to  hire  a  minister  of  different  prin- 
ciples,— but  if  at  any  future  period  of  time  shall 
neglect  or  refuse  to  comply  with  the  above  conditions 
and  restrictions,  then  and  in  that  case  said  donation 
shall  be  forfeited  by  said  society  to  my  executor  or 
his  heirs  to  sue  for  and  recover  the  said  donation  to 
his  or  their  use." 

This  fund  reached  the  amount  specified  in  the 
will  of  Mr.  Bartlett,  (four  thousand  dollars)  in  1849, 
and  the  income  from  it  has  been  since  that  period 
appropriated  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  was  conse- 
crated by  the  devisor. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  society  held  13th 
of  October,  1845,  a  committee  previously  appointed 
for  the  purpose  of  making  a  permanent  lease  of  the 
parsonage  lot,  reported  as  follows : 

That  they  had  leased  to  Mr.  Daniel  Chapin  the 
"  ministry  lot  of  land  "  for  the  term  of  nine  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  years  from  April,  1845,  for  the  sum 
of  fourteen  hundred  and  seventy  dollars  ninety-three 
cents. 

And  the  society's  committee  was  instructed  to  pay 
the  interest  on  said  amount  of  fourteen  hundred 
and  seventy  dollars  and  ninety-three  cents  to  Rev. 
Shubael  Bartlett,  annually,  on  the  first  day  of  De- 
cember in  each  year,  subject  to  the  regulations  of 
settlement  of  Mr.  Bartlett. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society  held  in  October,  1854, 
this  fund  was  appropriated  as  follows : 

"  Voted,  That  the  fund  belonging  to  the  first 
ecclesiastical  society  in  East  Windsor,  arising  from 


60 

the  sale  of  the  ministry  lot  (so  called)  and  amount- 
ing to  fourteen  hundred  and  seventy  dollars  and 
ninety-three  cents,  be  applied  to  liquidate  the  indebt- 
edness of  this  society  in  building  their  parsonage- 
house  and  purchasing  land  of  the  same,  and  that 
said  fund  shall  not  be  appropriated  for  any  other 
purpose  whatever." 


NAMES   OF   THE   SOCIETY. 

East  Windsor,  when  first  set  off  as  a  town,  in- 
cluded South  Windsor  and  Ellington,  and  the  pres- 
ent East  Windsor.  The  present  society  of  East 
Windsor,  from  1752  to  1768,  was  called  the  sixth 
society  in  Windsor.  After  the  original  town  of  East 
Windsor  was  incorporated,  A.  D.  1768,  this  society 
was  denominated  the  third  society  in  East  Windsor. 
A.  D.  1786,  Ellington  was  set  off  as  an  incorporated 
town  ;  after  which  period  we  have  been  known  as  the 
second  society  of  East  Windsor,  imtil  A.  D.  1846, 
when  a  separation  having  taken  place  by  the  incor- 
poration of  South  Windsor,  as  a  distinct  town,  we 
have  been  distinguished  as  the  first  society  in  East 
Windsor. 


SKETCH 


OF    THE 


life  of  Ifl).  ^Ijubatl  lartlfft. 


We  all  have  our  spheres  of  usefuhiess,  which,  hy 
a  wise  Providence  we  are  educated  to  fill ;  and  be  it 
larger  or  smaller,  the  area  of  a  kingdom  or  a  parish 
of  five  miles  square  ;  the  sentence  of  approbation  by 
the  great  Judge  will  be  not  according  to  the  ampli- 
tude of  the  influence,  but  to  the  faithful  occupancy 
of  the  part  allotted.  The  ten  talents  improved  may 
indeed  receive  a  tenfold  recompense,  but  the  pos- 
sessor of  the  five  if  faithful  to  his  trust,  will  hear 
the  same  "  Well  done  good  and  faithful  servant," 
and  receive  the  same  glorious  invitation  "  to  enter 
into  the  joy  of  his  Lord." 

In  attempting  to  sketch  the  life  of  one  who  filled 
no  large  place  in  the  public  eye,  I  am  relieved  from 
any  necessity  of  embellishment,  in  an  endeavor  to 
present  striking  deeds  in  their  most  effective  form, 
or  brilliant  speeches  with  all  their  powerful  accom- 
paniments of  time  and  circumstance.  Those  who 
will  read  these  lines  consecrated  to  affection,  and  for  , 

6 


62 

whom  they  were  written,  will  want  nothing  ])iit  a 
plain  delineation,  a  foir  and  honest  portraiture  of 
their  old  Pastor,  to  make  it  acceptahle  to  them,  and, 
if  the  writer  shall  succeed  in  doing  this,  the  object  of 
his  effort  will  be  fully  accomplished. 

The  Rev.  Shubael  Bartlett,  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  was  born  at  Lebanon,  in  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut, 2nd  of  April,  1778. 

His  father,  Mr.  John  Bartlett,  was  a  deacon  in 
the  Congregational  church  at  Lebanon,  under  the 
pastoral  charge  of  Rev.  Dr.  Ely.  In  a  direct  line 
he  could  trace  his  ancestry  to  John  Alden,  who 
landed  at  Plymouth  in  December,  1620,  and  the 
whole  line  of  pedigree  runs  through  those  who  were 
professedly  pious  persons. 

Mr.  John  Bartlett  was  a  man  in  plain  circumstan- 
ces, working  with  his  own  hands  at  the  shoemaker's 
trade ;  but  training  his  family  in  the  fear  of  God, 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  beholding  his  children  walk- 
ing in  the  ways  of  righteousness  and  professing  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ.  In  his  declining  years,  having  lost 
his  wife,  and  his  children  being  scattered  abroad,  he 
left  Lebanon  and  closed  his  life  at  the  house  of  his 
son.  Rev.  Shubael  Bartlett,  at  East  Windsor. 

I  find  in  the  diary  of  Mr.  Bartlett  this  record  : 

"  If  ever  I  was  born  again,  I  have  reason  to  hope 
that  it  was. some  time  in  the  springing  of  the  year, 
A.  D.  1794." 

He  united  with  the  church  in  June  of  the  same 
year,  so  that  he  must  have  made  a  profession  of  re- 
ligion when  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age. 


63 

His  mind  was  soon  after  this  turned  towards  the 
ministry,  and  he  commenced  studies  preparatory  to 
entering  college  under  the  Rev.  Zebulon  Ely,  and  in 
September,  1796,  entered  the  freshman  class  at  Yale 
College. 

His  means  for  a  collegiate  course  were  mainly 
provided  by  himself,  in  part  by  teaching,  together 
with  some  perquisites  received  by  him  for  services  in 
the  College.  His  father  could  spare  but  little  from 
his  income  for  such  purposes,  and  in  those  days  there 
were  no  benevolent  societies  to  offer  assistance  to 
young  men  in  the  arduous  undertaking  of  a  colle- 
giate course.  The  rock  had  to  be  broken  then  by 
resolute  and  sturdy  blows. 

From  an  old  friend  of  his,  and  a  long  tried  friend 
of  the  people  of  God,  I  have  received  this  account 
of  him  in  those  days  of  his  youth. 

"  I  have  known  Mr.  Bartlett  ever  since  the  year 
he  first  came  to  New  Haven  ;  he  was  quite  young, 
tall  and  prepossessing  in  his  appearance,  and  of 
pleasant  polite  manners,  and  remarkably  steady  and 
correct  in  all  his  deportment.  He  was  then  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion,  and  it  was  a  very  uncommon  thing 
in  that  day  for  one  so  young  to  be  willing  to  be 
known  as  a  follower  of  Christ — but  he  maintained  a 
consistent  walk  and  had  also  the  respect  of  his  class- 
mates— and  it  required  a  great  deal  of  prudence  and 
grace  for  one  situated  as  he  was  to  avoid  giving  un- 
necessary offense  by  too  strict  a  walk  or  yielding  so 
far  to  the  views  and  feelings  of  the  irreligious  as  to 
compromise  his  Christian  principles.  He  was  much 
respected  in  College  as  well  as  by  those  with  whom 
he  associated  in  the  city.  And  he  has  ever  been  the 
same.  I  have  known  him  for  more  than  fifty  years, 
and  esteem  his  friendship  very  highly." 


64 

I 

This  testimony  is  from  one  who  never  flattered^ 
and  who  had  every  opportunity  for  judging. 

That  it  was  a  peculiarly  trying  time  for  a  professor 
of  religion,  may  be  imagined  from  the  fact  that  he 
was  the  only  member  of  the  freshman  class  who  was 
pious.  There  was  not  one  professor  in  the  sopho- 
more class  ;  but  one  in  the  junior,  and  but  eight  or 
ten  in  the  senior.  There  was  in  the  College  what 
was  called  the  Moral  Society,  and  the  year  Mr.  Bart- 
lett  entered  college,  he  with  the  other  professors  of 
religion  were  expelled  from  it,  as  being  too  strict  in 
their  principles. 

The  close  of  the  last  century  may  well  be  termed 
the  period  when  infidelity  triumphed,  when  pure 
religion  was  scoffed  at  and  made  to  hide  her  head 
and  weep  in  secret  places. 

In  the  College  the  sacred  ordinances  of  Chris- 
tianity were  ridiculed,  and  on  one  occasion  on  a 
Communion  Sabbath,  some  of  the  students  in  the 
dining  hall  cut  the  bread  in  pieces  to  represent  the 
sacred  emblem  of  Christ's  body  and  impiously  offered 
it  to  a  solitary  professor  who  was  dining  with  them, 
intending  thereby  to  wound  the  feelings  of  the  youth 
just  from  the  table  of  his  Lord. 

Nor  was  the  state  of  things  much  better  in  the 
city.  It  is  believed  that  between  1796  to  1800,  there 
were  in  New  Haven,  exclusive  of  the  College,  but 
three  persons  under  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  pro- 
fessors of  the  Christian  faith.  Religion  was  cast 
aside  as  unfitted  for  the  freedom  of  youth,  and  no 
greater  breach  of  politeness  could  be  committed, 
than  to  introduce  the  subject  in  the  social  circle. 


65 

Well  was  it  for  the  best  interests  gf  the  College, 
and  the  church  at  large,  that  there  was  at  the  head 
of  that  institution  in  that  dark  and  memorable 
period,  a  Champion  of  Christ,  distinguished  alike  as 
a  scholar  and  a  man  of  devoted  piety, — one  who 
could  meet  the  adversary  with  weapons  of  his  own 
as  well  as  with  the  panoply  of  the  gospel. 

To  his  wise  and  careful  management ;  to  his 
(prayers  and  powerful  arguments  ;  to  his  bold  attacks 
upon  the  very  citadel  of  infidelity,  the  corrupted 
heart ;  may  be  attributed,  under  God,  the  glorious 
change  which  took  place  in  the  year  1802,  and  which 
converted  that  hot-bed  of  Satanic  plants  into  a  nur- 
sery for  the  Church. 

The  name  of  Dwight  must  ever  have  a  high  place 
among  those  great  and  good  men,  who  in  that  day 
of  the  enemy's  power,  stood  forth  mightily  for  the 
truth. 

Through  such  a  period  for  the  trial  of  faith  and 
constancy,  our  pastor  in  the  days  of  his  youth  was 
safely  carried  ;  and  in  the  revival  which  occurred 
while  he  was  still  there,  preparing  for  the  ministry, 
he  took  a  very  decided  and  active  part,  and  enjoyed 
the  unspeakable  pleasure  of  beholding  those  who 
had  once  ridiculed  religion,  coming  to  him  to  ask 
"  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved." 

Having  finished  his  collegiate  course  in  the  year 
1800,  he  commenced  studying  for  the  ministry  under 
Dr.  Dwight,  and  in  the  course  of  the  year  1802,  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel.  The  following  extract 
from  his  diary  on  the  occasion  of  writing  his  first 
sermon,  will  be  read  with  deep  interest  by  those  who, 


66 

knowing  him  *for  many  years  as  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  will  be  able  to  testify  how  truly  the  just 
thoughts  and  feelings  contained  therein  were  sus- 
tained to  the  very  last : 

"  Sept.  23rd,  1802.  I  am  now  writing  my  first 
discourse,  which  (God  willing)  I  shall  preach  to  my 
fellow-men.  God  grant  that  I  may  feel  the  worth 
of  precious  souls  ;  that  I  may  feel  how  important  it 
is  to  be  an  ambassador  of  Christ  to  my  fellow-men. 
In  this  exalted  calling  may  I  never  seek  after  glory 
from  men.  May  I  seriously  and  certainly  consider 
that  the  eye  of  an  all-seeing  and  infinitely  holy  God 
is  upon  me  and  that  the  day  is  very  fast  approach- 
ing when  I  shall  have  to  give  an  account  to  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  of  the  manner  in  which  I 
have  labored  in  the  heritage  of  God.  Let  me  never 
attempt  to  proceed  one  step  in  my  own  strength. 
Assist  me  0  Lord  my  God  by  thy  grace,  and  direct 
me  by  thine  unerring  counsel.  May  I  be  sensible 
that  without  Thee  I  can  do  nothing.  But  may  I 
firmly  trust  in  Thy  grace  with  a  confident  assurance 
that  I  can  do  all  things  which  God  may  require  of 
me  through  Christ  strengthening  me.  Let  thy 
strength  0  gracious  Redeemer,  be  made  perfect  in 
my  weakness." 

This  extract  will  suffice  to  show  the  frame  of  mind 
that  marked  his  early  years,  his  humility,  his  trust 
in  God,  and  his  dependence  on  divine  grace  alone 
for  the  accomplishment  of  his  mission  as  a  minister 
of  Christ,  and  on  the  divine  blessing  alone,  for  what 
of  earthly  good  he  hoped  to  enjoy. 

Having  completed  his  studies  for  the  ministry  in 
the  winter  of  1802,  he  visited  Hartford  for  the  pur- 
pose of  recreation,  and  then  for  the  first  time  be- 


67 

came  acquainted  with  her  who  was  destined  to  travel 
by  his  side  all  the  rest  of  his  life's  journey — who  was 
to  be  the  light  of  his  home — his  comforter  in  sorrow 
— his  wise  counselor  and  the  delight  of  his  heart 
until  its  earthly  emotions  should  forever  cease. 

We  all  know  how  blessed  was  that  union — what 
rich  fruits  resulted  from  it  for  his  usefulness  as  a 
pastor  and  his  comfort  as  a  man. 

In  January  7th,  1803,  Mr.  Bartlett  received  an 
invitation  from  the  second  society  in  East  Windsor, 
to  preach  as  a  candidate,  the  church  being  then  left 
destitute  by  the  death  of  their  former  pastor,  Rev. 
Thomas  Potwine. 

Soon  after  this  invitation  he  came  and  supplied 
the  pulpit  for  several  months.  Towards  the  close  of 
the  year  a  call  was  voted  by  the  church  and  society, 
and  handed  to  him  for  acceptance.  Mr.  Bartlett 
did  not  immediately  decide,  for  at  the  same  time 
other  societies  were  in  communication  with  him  in 
reference  to  a  settlement,  and  on  many  accounts  pre- 
ferred more  eligible  claims  for  his  acceptance. 

The  second  society  in  East  Windsor  did  not  then 
present  the  favorable  aspect  which  it  now  does.  It 
had  many  of  the  roughnesses  of  a  new  settlement. 
Much  of  the  land  in  the  parish  was  covered  with 
forests.  The  houses  of  most  of  the  farmers  were 
plain,  unfinished  buildings  ;  but  little  attention  had 
been  paid  to  the  higher  branches  of  education,  and 
there  were  many  things  uncongenial  to  the  taste  of 
one  who  had  for  the  most  of  his  life  mingled  with 
society  where  the  best  advantages  were  enjoyed. 

Dr.  Dwight  had  not  only  been  his  teacher,  but  he 


68 

had  also  on  many  occasions  proved  himself  an  inter- 
ested friend.  Mr.  Bartlett  therefore  resolved  to  lay 
the  case  before  him.  The  Dr.  knew  the  parish,  and 
he  well  knew  the  character  and  qualifications  of  his 
pupil.  He  believed  that  it  was  a  place  where  he 
could  do  much  good — where  his  conciliatory  man- 
ners, his  modest  spirit,  and  his  prudent  piety,  would 
be  of  great  use  in  healing  discords,  inspiring  lauda- 
ble ambition,  and  refining  the  exterior  of  society,  as 
well  as  improving  the  heart. 

He  also  gave  him  some  valuable  advice  in  refer- 
ence to  his  own  personal  walk  among  his  people — 
knowing  as  he  did  that  parties  were  in  hostile  array 
against  each  other.  He  cautioned  him  against  tak- 
ing sides  with  either  ;  not  even,  if  possible,  to  know 
anything  of  the  cause  of  dissension,  and  to  use  all 
means  in  his  power  to  heal  every  breach  and  to 
enlist  in  one  common  effort  to  build  up  the  society 
all  within  the  bounds  of  the  parish. 

And  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  Mr.  Bartlett 
not  only  acted  upon  this  advice,  but  that  his  conduct 
had  the  most  happy  influence  upon  the  people  of  his 
charge. 

Having  accepted  the  call,  on  the  15th  February, 
1804,  he  was  solemnly  ordained  in  the  new  meeting- 
house as  pastor  of  the  church  and  people. 

He  was  already  married,  and  with  his  wife  and 
one  child,  immediately  began  preparations  for  a  per- 
manent location,  by  erecting  for  himself  a  dwelling. 
Mrs.  Bartlett' s  father  was  not  a  man  of  wealth,  but 
he  had  accumulated  some  property,  and  was  not  a 
little  ambitious  that  his  only  child  should  have  a 


69 

good  "  setting  out."  He  had  given  her  the  best 
education  that  the  day  afforded,  and  was  proud  to 
know  that  she  was  respected  and  beloved  in  every 
circle  that  she  visited.  A  minister  would  not  have 
been  the  choice  for  a  daughter  by  any  father  who 
cared  supremely  for  worldly  advantage.  But  her 
choice  had  pleased  him,  for  reasons  of  more  con- 
sequence to  her  happiness,  than  any  amount  of 
worldly  wealth  or  fame  ;  and,  therefore,  with  great 
pleasure  he  anticipated  doing  his  best  to  furnish  her 
abode  wherever  it  might  be. 

Mrs.  Bartlett  knew  well  what  were  the  wishes  of 
her  father  in  reference  to  the  style  in  which  he  ex- 
pected she  should  be  established.  And  knowing 
how  much  he  thought  of  having  his  only  child,  the 
pride  of  his  heart,  living  with  all  those  conveniences 
and  agreeable  things  about  her  to  which  she  had  ever 
been  accustomed,  and  in  as  good  style  as  any  of  her 
companions  in  the  city,  it  was  no  small  trial  to 
her  to  make  known  to  him  the  very  different  views 
she  had  formed  on  the  subject.  But  one  day  when 
he  requested  her  to  go  with  him  and  make  her 
own  choice  between  two  pieces  of  furniture  he  had 
been  looking  at  for  her,  she  complied,  of  course, 
and  even  decided  which  of  the  two  she  preferred. 
It'  was  as  fine  an  article  as  was  then  manufactured, 
and  if  all  things  were  to  be  in  accordance  with  it, 
her  house  would  certainly  be  furnished  as  well  as 
the  most  fastidious  taste  could  desire. 

On  returning  home  she  resolved  at  once  to  unfold 
her  own  views  and  wishes. 

"  How  much  do  you  suppose.  Father,  (she  asked 


70 

him)  it  will  cost  you  to  furnish  my  house  as  you 
intend  doing  ?" 

"  Probably hundred  dollars." 

"  Would  you  have  any  objections,  Father,  to  let  me 
supply  myself  with  just  such  articles  of  furniture  as 
will  be  absolutely  necessary  to  live  in  a  very  plain 
way,  and  use  the  rest  of  the  money  in  building  a 
house,  that  we  may  have  a  home  of  our  own  ?" 

It  was  a  startling  proposition,  and  one  which  his 
feelings  at  first  rebelled  against.  But  he  soon  saw 
the  propriety  of  it,  and  fell  in  with  his  daughter's 
wishes.  A  piece  of  ground  was  purchased  at  East 
Windsor,  not  far  from  the  church.  It  was  then 
covered  with  woods,  and  the  trees  had  to  be  cut 
down  to  make  room  for  the  dwelling  and  garden. 
The  frame  was  raised  on  the  3rd  of  July,  1804,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett  with  their  babe  of  ten  months 
old,  moved  into  their  new  house  in  the  following 
December. 

Thus  to  be  particular  about  such  a  matter  as  the 
building  of  a  dwelling  and  the  commencement  of 
house-keeping  by  a  newly  married  pair,  may  to  some 
appear  rather  too  small  a  concern  to  be  forced  into  a 
biography.  But  all  who  have  ever  enjoyed  hospi- 
tality beneath  that  roof,  who  have  known  anything 
of  the  order,  peace,  and  heavenly  quiet  there  en- 
joyed, will  think  differently. 

That  home  was  destined  to  be  a  place  where  a 
Christian  family  should  for  fifty  years  shed  its  beau- 
tiful light, — where  parents  and  children  should  live 
in  uninterrupted  harmony,  where  the  morning  and 
evening  sacrifice  should  send  up  its  incense,  and  the 
fire  on  God's  altar  there  never  be  allowed  to  go  out 


71 

during  half  a  century — and  here  it  may  be  expected 
that  some  especial  notice  be  taken  of  her  who  was 
emphatically  the  Christian  mother  and  mistress  of 
her  husband's  home.  True  she  is  yet  among  us 
and  I  would  not  do  aught  by  a  personal  reference  to 
wound  feelings  that  have  ever  shrunk  from  noto- 
riety,— yet  she  too  has  reached  the  shore  of  that 
vast  ocean  on  which  her  long  loved  partner  has  just 
launched, — her  life-work  too  is  drawing  to  its  close  ; 
she  sits  alone  in  her  deserted  mansion,  and  as  her 
life  has  been  devoted  to  the  good  of  others,  it  surely 
can  not  pain  her  now  to  hear  what  others  think  of 
the  character  she  has  borne,  nor  to  know  that  the 
track  she  has  left  through  her  long  life  is  bright  even 
to  its  closing  days  with  the  graces  of  the  Christian 
woman. 

It  needed  no  little  sacrifice  of  worldly  ambition 
in  the  hey-day  of  her  youth,  to  leave  the  enticing 
scenes  of  a  city  where  she  was  caressed  and  loved, 
to  take  a  place  where  she  must  labor  with  her 
own  hands  and  accommodate  herself  to  straitened 
means  and  moderate  her  wishes  to  suit  the  views 
and  feelings  of  those  among  whom  her  husband  had 
chosen  to  labor  ;  to  leave  a  home  where  every  wish 
was  gratified,  for  a  station  where  all  her  energies 
miist  be  exerted  to  please  others  and  those  whose 
habits  of  life  were  of  necessity  dissimilar  to  those  in 
which  she  had  been  educated.  But  she  counted  the 
cost  and  began  her  life's  service  with  a  cheerful 
heart. 

Mr.  Bartlett  held  his  house  as  he  did  all  his  tem- 
poral blessings,  as  a  steward  for  God.     He  felt  that 


72 

he  had  no  right  to  say  who  should  come  and  who 
should  not  come  to  enjoy  its  hospitality  ;  but  whom- 
soever the  Lord  should  send,  his  duty  was  to  open 
his  heart  and  his  house  to  him,  to  bid  him  welcome 
in  his  Master's  name,  trusting  that  the  great  Provi- 
der would  enable  him  to  sustain  the  burden.  He 
never  courted  company,  nor  made  a  preference  of 
the  rich  to  the  neglect  of  the  poor.  In  the  country, 
as  all  know  who  live  there,  wanderers  are  continu- 
ally calling  in — wretched  outcasts  who  by  improvi- 
dence or  misfortune  have  lost  a  resting  place  on 
earth  and  have  "  no  certain  home."  In  general 
every  house  is  open  for  them  to  give  them  a  meal 
and  then  let  them  go  on  their  desolate  way.  To 
such  as  these,  peculiar  attention  was  always  paid  at 
this  Christian  dwelling.  Mrs.  B.  would  always  re- 
ceive them  in  her  kind  and  pleasant  way,  provide 
for  them  of  the  best  she  had,  and  then  taking  her 
seat  by  the  poor  stranger  in  that  peculiar  way  which 
she  had  of  drawing  out  the  secrets  of  those  who 
were  in  trouble,  without  injuring  their  feelings, 
learn  the  cause  why  they  were  thus  thrown  upon 
the  world, — and  then  she  would  pour  in  the  oil  of 
consolation  and  endeavor  to  raise  their  drooping 
spirits,  and  to  put  hope  into  their  hearts,  and  many 
a  poor  downcast  soul  has  gone  away  blessing  her  for 
kind  words,  and  apparently  encouraged  to  take  a 
new  start  in  life.  But  oftentimes  she  would  do 
much  more  than  this.  If  it  was  evening  when  they 
came,  or  on  the  edge  of  the  Sabbath,  a  bed  would 
be  provided  for  them,  and  if  their  clothing  was  rag- 
ged and  filthy,  as  it  often  was,  the  stores  of  cast  off 


73 

garments  would  be  overhauled,  and  decent  clothes 
given  to  them — they  would  be  called  in  to  worship 
with  the  family,  and  invited  to  the  sanctuary,  and 
to  enjoy  the  rest  of  the  Sabbath  with  them  in  their 
quiet  home.  And  this  was  not  done  only  once  or 
twice ;  numberless  are  the  instances  where  the 
hungry  and  houseless  have  thus  been  comforted, 
and  also  the  naked  clothed.  Could  all  who  have 
thus  from  this  poor  Pastor's  house  been  provided 
for,  be  gathered  together,  their  number  would  doubt- 
less astonish  even  the  generous  donors  themselves. 

Some  years  elapsed  before  their  house  was  fin- 
ished according  to  its  original  design,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  summer  of  1826  that  the  back  rooms  were 
lathed  and  plastered.  The  following  extracts  from 
Mr.  Bartlett's  diary  will  show  how  he  viewed  his 
home  and  his  habit  of  looking  upon  all  domestic 
comforts  to  be  conducive  to  his  usefulness  as  a 
minister : 

"  1826,  3rd  June.  I  have  had  many  little  cares 
the  past  week  in  reference  to  our  exertions  in  en- 
deavoring to  finish  three  of  our  rooms  in  the  house 
that  have  never  yet  been  lathed  and  plastered, — 
may  a  divine  blessing  attend  us  in  these  exer- 
tions— may  we  be  enabled  to  love  and  serve  the  Lord 
more  diligently  and  faithfully  in  the  house  which  he 
hath  given  us  in  proportion  as  it  is  rendered  more 
convenient  and  comfortable." 

"  Friday,  23rd  of  June.  Our  men  have  white- 
washed all  the  plastered  rooms  in  the  house  and 
painted  three  rooms.  Oh  let  us  not  be  permitted  to 
do  these  things  to  our  earthly  abode  in  the  pride  of 
our  hearts,  nor  to  gratify  our  selfish  feelings,  but  for 
the  honor  of  God  the  giver  of  our  house  and  the 
7 


74  • 

Father  of  all  V)lessiiigs,  realizing  tiie  need  in  which 
we  stand  of  a  house  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in 
the  heavens.'* 

The  character  which  Mr.  Bartlett  was  enabled 
through  so  many  years  to  sustain  as  a  man  was  that 
of  a  consistent  Christian.  He  was  remarkable  for 
an  evenness  of  deportment  as  well  through  his  youth 
as  in  his  maturer  years,  and  to  the  very  close  of  his 
life.  He  seemed  always  to  realise  his  accountability 
to  God  for  all  his  conduct  towards  his  fellow-men, 
and  for  all  the  motives  of  that  conduct.  He  not  only 
believed  it  to  be  wrong  to  indulge  in  harsh  censure 
of  his  fellows,  he  felt  that  it  was  beneath  the  Chris- 
tian's character  to  indulge  even  harsh  thoughts. 

In  all  his  most  private  concerns  he  felt  that  it  was 
his  privilege  as  a  child  of  God,  to  have  the  care  and 
counsel  of  his  Heavenly  Father,  and  thus  connect- 
ing the  care  and  the  will  of  God  with  his  daily  in- 
terests and  his  daily  duties,  he  may  be  said  truly  to 
have  traveled  the  path  allotted  to  him  with  the  sen- 
sible presence  of  his  Almighty  Friend,  hallowing 
every  scene  and  making  even  its  darkest  passes  radi- 
ant with  the  light  that  streameth  from  heaven. 

To  walk  steadily  in  the  strait  and  narrow  path — 
to  bear  a  pure,  unspotted  Christian  character 
through  a  long  life,  amid  the  countless  temptations 
which  the  world  presents  at  every  step,  is  no  light 
matter — few  are  enabled  to  do  it,  and  it  can  only  be 
accomplished  by  leaning  steadily  on  the  arm  of 
Jehovah. 

It  may  therefore  be  profitable  for  us  as  we  look  at 
this  Christian  man,  to  open  the  book  where  he  has 


76 

left  on  record  the  secret  thoughts  of  his  heart,  that 
we  may  learn  what  were  his  views  of  life,  what  his 
thoughts  of  duty  to  God  and  man,  and  what  the 
main-spring  of  all  his  conduct. 

The  following  extracts  taken  from  his  diary,  have 
been  selected  as  appropriate  to  display  his  views  and 
feelings  on  the  great  subjects  of  his  duty  to  God 
and  to  man  as  a  Christian  and  a  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ : 

"  When  shall  I  acquire  the  divine  art  of  using 
time,  of  living  to  my  God,  for  my  fellow-creatures, 
and  for  myself !  When  shall  I  possess  that  firmness 
of  mind  which  shall  enable  me  to  act  at  all  times  as 
if  I  realised  that  I  am  acting  for  eternity  !  When 
shall  I  be  so  firmly  and  constantly  habituated  to  the 
paths  of  virtue  and  the  ways  of  wisdom,  that  no  art 
or  insinuation  of  a  vain  world  shall  draw  me  aside 
from  my  duty  !  " 

"  Few  bring  back  at  eve  immaculate,  the  manners  of  the  morn. 
Something  we  thought  is  blotted,  we  resolved,  is  shaken,  we  re- 
nounced, returns  again." — Dr.  Young. 

"  Thus  we  have  to  lament  at  the  close  of  every  day 
our  frailty,  our  wont  of  perseverance  in  th^  execu- 
tion of  our  resolutions.  When  will  the  time  come 
when  I  shall  in  every  respect  do  my  duty  and  have 
no  cause  to  repent  of  my  folly  !  " 

"  Another  day  is  numbered  with  my  past  hours  I 
Shall  I  wish  to  recall  it,  that  I  may  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  spend  it  again,  hoping  that  I  shall  improve 
it  to  better  advantage !  My  frailty  forbids  the  wish. 
Is  not  such  a  wish  like  the  promises  of  those  who 
when  lying,  as  they  supposed,  upon  a  bed  of  death, 
have  solemnly  engaged  that  should  they  ever  be  re- 
stored to  health  they  will  live  more  devoted  to  God 
than  they  hitherto  have  done,  that  they  will  make 
the  salvation  of  their  souls  tlie  only  important  busi- 


76 

ness  of  their  spared  lives,  and  yet  when  recovered 
from  their  sickness  have  been  more  thoughtless  than 
ever.'' 

"  Such  is  the  frailty  and  wretchedness  of  man. 
But  blessed  be  God  he  can  give  strength  to  the 
weak,  and  enable  them  to  overcome  a  vain  and  delu- 
sive world  and  the  great  adversary  of  man.  None 
need  despond  who  with  all  humility  place  their 
whole  dependence  on  his  almighty  grace." 

"  Another  week  is  added  to  the  past  weeks  of 

my  life.  What  a  diary  does  my  conscience  now  wit- 
ness for  this  portion  of  my  time?  Might  I  have 
done  more  good  than  I  have  done  ?  Do  I  wish  to 
spend  every  week  of  my  life  in  the  same  manner  ? 
Did  I  rise  in  the  morning  in  such  season  as  I  ought  ? 
Did  I  spend  the  mornings  in  such  a  manner  as  I 
ought  ?  Were  my  reflections  in  the  evening  such  as 
were  proper  and  effectual  ?  How  did  I  behave  to 
those  who  injured  me  ?  Did  I  remember  the  great 
and  important  duty  of  forgiving  injuries  ? 

May  my  conscience  be  a  faithful  monitor  at  all 
times. 

May  I  never  allow  an  action  or  word  in  myself, 
for  which  I  should  think  lightly  of  another. 

May  J.  ever  be  '  slow  to  anger,'  and  ready  to  for- 
give, and  think  favorably  of  the  failings  of  others." 

— : —  "  How  fair,  how  excellent,  how  lovely  is  the 
queen  of  heaven,  Religion !  How  perfectly  does 
she  by  her  principles  support  the  soul  under  all  its 
afflictions.  How  heart  reviving  and  refreshing  her 
influence  !  How  pure  the  joys  which  she  bestows  ! 
Shall  one  hour  of  her  pleasure  be  given  for  all  the 
riches  this  earth  can  boast  ?  The  humble  and  holy 
soul  disdains  to  make  the  comparison." 

"  How  sweet  are  my  hours  of  retirement ! 

When  withdrawn  from  the  business  and  noise  of  the 
world  I  can  look  into  my  own  heart  and  examine 
the  state  of  affairs  with  my  soul^  survey  my  past 


77 

actions  and  form  resolutions  of  amendment  in  future. 
But  may  I  never  put  confidence  in  my  own  strength, 
and  rely  solely  on  Him  who  is  infinite  in  power." 

The  social  arrangements  which  Mr.  Bartlett  estab- 
lished in  his  family  were  all  regulated  in  subser- 
viency to  the  divine  precepts. 

The  government  of  his  family  was  far  from  being 
rigid ;   he   treated   his   children   with   the   greatest 
familiarity,  entering  into  al}  their  plans,  examining 
with  them,  all  the  reasons  for  or  against  a  certain 
course,  and  encouraging  them  under  every  circum- 
stance to  make  perfect  confidents  of  both  their  pa- 
rents.    He   was   in  the  habit  of  conversing  freely 
with  them  especially  as  they  drew  near  to  adult 
years,  on   the   peculiar   temptations  to  which  they 
would  be  exposed,  and  thus  guarding  them  against 
concealed  dangers.     His  views  in  reference  to  their 
education  for  life,  were  somewhat  peculiar ;  he  did 
not  feel  it  his  duty  to  mark  out  for  his  children  the 
business  they  should  follow,  but  rather  threw  them 
upon  their  own  resources,  advising  with  them  and 
aiding  them  all  in  his  power  in  that  course  which 
they   seemed   to   prefer,   and  urging   them   at  the 
same  time  to  mark  the  leadings  of  Providence  and 
thus  endeavor  to  find  out  what  was  God's  will  con- 
cerning them.     His  great  desire  for  them  was  that 
they  might  be  useful,  that  they  might  glorify  God, 
in  whatever  station  they  were  placed. 

He  kept  a  strong  hold  of  his  children  by  prayer, 
bearing  them  continually  on  his  heart  before  God 
and  more  especially  so  if  any  peculiar  circumstance 
in  the  life  of  either  of  them  excited  his  interest. 


78 

The  morning  and  everting  worship  in  his  family 
was  always  attended  to  with  peculiar  emphasis. 
The  members  of  the  family  and  persons  providen- 
tially there  whether  as  visitors,  or  laborers,  were 
always  expected  to  be  present.  A  portion  of  scrip- 
ture was  read  in  course  by  each  one  present,  and 
then  the  notes  and  practical  observations  by  Dr. 
Scott.  A  hymn  was  then  sung,  and  the  Head  of 
the  family  or  some  one  whom  he  might  name  led  in 
prayer.  Mr.  Bartlett  often  took  such  opportunities 
for  throwing  out  some  remarks  of  his  own,  having 
reference  to  any  peculiar  circumstance  which  might 
have  occurred  or  was  about  to  occur.  If  it  was 
evening,  and  he  had  been  away  through  the  day,  he 
would  recount  the  scenes  he  had  witnessed,  and 
notice  any  peculiar  providences  which  had  affected 
him,  thereby  adding  much  to  the  social  interest  of 
the  scene.  He  took  great  delight  in  singing,  and  at 
times  when  the  hymn  was  peculiarly  striking,  would 
sing  the  whole  of  it  a  second  time,  or  a  part  of  it. 

On  the  Sabbath,  in  addition  to  these  exercises  at 
the  evening  prayer,  for  many  years  and  until  all  his 
children  had  grown  up  and  nearly  all  removed  to 
homes  of  their  own,  the  whole,  present,  were  ques- 
tioned through  the  Shorter  Catechism. 

This  was  a  custom  which  had  been  handed  down 
through  many  generations,  and  which  has  been  very 
generally  in  use  among  Christians  in  our  country 
until  within  the  last  thirty  years.  But  we  doubt 
much  whether  a  "  more  excellent  way  "  has  been 
adopted  in  its  stead.  It  might,  at  times,  appear  to 
be  a  tedious  and  unnecessary  repetition  of  the  same 


79 


truths,  but  it  brought  those  truths  before  the  mind  ; 
they  became  "  fixed  facts  "  in  the  memory,  and  there 
was  by  this  mean  a  store  laid  up  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  could  at  any  time  apply  to  the  heart,  and  we 
hesitate  not  to  say  that  whatever  has  been  the  cause 
for  the  present  neglect  of  this  part  of  family  disci- 
pline, it  need  be  able  to  point  to  a  great  deal  of  posi- 
tive good  accomplished  in  order  to  atone  for  the  loss 
to  Christian  families  of  this  old  Puritan  custom. 

At  an  early  age,  all  Mr.  Bartlett's  children,  nine 
in  number,  have  become  hopefully  pious  and  mani- 
fest in  all  the  diiferent  places  where  their  lot  is  cast, 
the  same  love  for  the  truth  as  was  instilled  into 
them  by  their  training  at  home. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  daily  record  of  events, 
will  close  this  part  of  our  view  of  his  character  and 
habits. 

"  18 — ,  October,  24th.  We  have  been  this  after- 
noon and  evening,  very  much  pressed  with  company 
and  cares,  so  that  we  did  not  retire  to  rest  till 
eleven  o'clock.  Before  going  to  rest  we  retired  with 
our  sons  who  we  expect  will  go  from  us  in  the  morn- 
ing to  .return  to  college,  and  spent  a  season  of  special 
instruction  and  special  prayer  with  them." 

*'  October  25th.  Our  sons  set  out  on  their  journey 
a  little  before  eight  o'clock.  May  the  God  who 
gu'arded  us  through  the  dangers  and  snares  of  youth, 
and  fed  us  all  our  life  thus  far,  and  the  Angel  of  the 
covenant  that  redeemed  us  from  all  evil,  bless  the 
lads,  and  let  our  name  be  named  upon  them,  and  the 
name  of  our  fathers,  so  far  as  we  and  our  fathers 
are  the  children  of  the  God  of  Abraham." 

Mr.  Bartlett's  style  of  preaching  was  not  calcu- 


80 

lated  to  please  a  fastidious  taste ;  he  had  never 
studied  to  adorn  his  discourses  with  the  graces  of 
elocution  even  from  the  first,  and  perhaps  regarded 
with  too  much  indifference  the  manner  in  which  the 
truths  which  he  wished  to  enforce  were  presented. 
It  doubtless  seemed  to  him  all  sufficient  if  he  could 
say  to  his  hearers,  thus  saith  the  Lord — and  from 
a  desire  to  make  every  proposition  as  plain  as  possi- 
ble, he  enlarged  upon  each  particular  more  perhaps 
than  was  necessary  for  the  best  effect ;  and  yet  who 
can  say  that  more  finished  compositions,  a  style  more 
in  unison  with  the  refined  taste  of  later  years, 
would,  upon  the  whole,  have  accomplished  a  greater 
amount  of  good  ? 

The  'truth  may  be  telling  upon  our  hearts  and 
consciences  and  doing  its  silent  work  there,  although 
we  may  be  weary  of  hearing  its  reiteration  ;  and 
perhaps  not  many  country  parishes  can  number 
through  a  course  of  fifty  years,  ten  subjects  of  divine 
grace  on  an  average,  annually  gathered  into  the 
church  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  usual 
preaching  of  the  gospel.  The  effect  of  his  ministra- 
tions has  been  rather  conservative  that  quickening  ; 
it  has  encouraged  a  quiet,  orderly,  and  moral  condi- 
tion among  his  flock  ;  it  has  encouraged  fathers  to 
be  industrious  in  their  avocations,  kind  and  forbear- 
ing in  their  families,  and  mothers  to  be  diligent  in 
training  their  little  ones  to  reverence  the  word  of 
God,  and  the  institutions  of  religion. 

During  the  last  twenty-five  years  of  his  ministry, 
subjects  of  distracting  interest  have  been  agitated 
throughout   the   church   in  our   land.      The   most 


81 

prominent  of  these  have  been  temperance  and  aboli- 
tionism. The  minds  of  men  have  been  wrought  upon 
by  those  who  have  suffered  either  cause  to  absorb  all 
other  considerations,  until  divisions,  and  jealousies, 
and  bitterness  against  brethren,  have  disturbed  the 
peace  of  many  congregations  and  rent  them  asun- 
der. But  we  have  been  preserved  from  these  calami- 
ties ;  distinguished  as  an  advocate  for  temperance, 
and  setting  a  Christian  example  in  that  respect,  long 
before  temperance  societies  were  thought  of;  he 
stood  on  the  same  calm  and  steady  platform  while 
the  storm  was  raging  abroad  and  encouraged  his 
hearers  to  acts  of  self-denial  and  to  abstinence  from 
every  thing  that  could  injure  their  usefulness  as  men 
and  Christians,  while  he  made  no  sweepmg  denun- 
ciations, nor  abused  those  who  could  not  enter 
wholly  into  his  views. 

He  had  little  faith,  however,  in  temperance  re- 
formation nor  in  any  other  kind  of  reformation  that 
was  not  the  fruit  of  a  change  of  heart,  so  far  as  in- 
dividuals were  concerned,  although  it  was  his  hearty 
wish  that  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  as  a  bever- 
age, might  be  abandoned  by  the  whole  community. 

He  hated  slavery,  and  thought  of  it  as  an  evil,  a 
great  evil ;  a  dark  spot  upon  our  fair  land ;  and  he 
ever  prayed  that  God  in  his  wise  providence,  would 
order  events  for  the  removal  of  the  curse,  and  yet  he 
saw  no  such  promise  of  good  in  the  abolition  move- 
ment, that  authorised  him  to  throw  the  firebrand  of 
discord  among  his  people,  by  waking  up  their  pas- 
sions on  the  subject.  His  great  idea  on  all  such 
matters    was,    "  disseminate    Christian    principles, 


82 

wake  up  the  love  of  Christ  in  the  minds  of  all,  and 
the  moral  taints  of  society  will  melt  away  hefore  it." 

His  preaching  was  rather  practical  than  doctrinal. 
He  did  not,  indeed,  keep  back  the  prominent  articles 
of  our  faith,  but  they  were  never  brought  out  in 
their  startling  boldness,  so  as  to  lead  the  minds  of 
his  hearers  to  revolt  at  them  or  to  create  a  disputa- 
tious spirit.  He  was  fully  conscious  that  "  we  now 
only  see  in  part,"  that  many  things  "  were  hard  to 
be  believed,"  and  could  never  be  made  quite  clear 
in  our  imperfect  state — but  "  to  love  the  Lord  with 
all  our  heart  and  our  neighbor  as  ourself,"  to  repent 
heartily  of  sin,  to  lay  hold  on  Jesus  as  the  great 
Saviour  of  the  soul,  to  do  works  meet  for  repentance, 
and  to  walk  by  faith  on  the  Son  of  God.  These 
were  within  the  grasp  of  the  mind  and  upon  these 
he  dwelt. 

But  his  preaching  was  not  the  only  power  which 
he  used  to  accomplish  the  work  committed  to  him. 
In  his  own  language,  in  the  discourses  appended  to 
this  sketch,  he  has  made  a  beautiful  appeal  to  the 
flock  of  his  charge  in  the  summing  up  of  his  minis- 
terial labors — "  I  have  thus  been  before  you  breth- 
ren as  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  a  pastor,  as  a 
father,  a  husband,  a  neighbor,  a  friend,  and  a 
man."  I  have  glanced  at  his  services  in  the  pulpit, 
and  their  results  are  before  those  who  will  read  this 
sketch.  We  have  not  indeed  been  stimulated  to  do 
mighty  things  in  attempts  to  batter  down  the  king- 
dom of  Satan,  but  we  have  in  general,  been  at  peace 
among  ourselves,  and  perhaps  present  at  this  day  as 


83 

fair  a  sample  of  an  orderly  Christian  community  as 
can  be  found  in  any  district  of  the  same  size. 

In  his  ministrations  as  a  pastor,  he  appeared  among 
his  people  in  the  same  character  as  when  standing 
in  the  sacred  desk,  the  same  gentleness  of  manner, 
the  same  Christian  courtesy,  the  same  serious,  devout 
instructor.  He  never  put  off  the  ambassador  of 
Christ  when  mingling  with  the  family  circle,  at  the 
firesides  of  his  people.  He  had  a  word  of  encour- 
agement for  the  desponding,  a  word  of  exhortation 
to  the  thoughtless,  and  to  those  who  openly  trans- 
gressed, his  reproof  and  admonition  were  adminis- 
tered in  the  spirit  of  humility  and  love.  Nor  had 
he  any  partiality.  All  received  from  him  the  same 
tokens  of  his  kindly  feelings.  He  looked  upon  his 
flock  as  a  father  upon  his  children  ;  all  might  not 
equally  meet  his  approbation,  but  all  shared  in  his 
heart's  interest. 

He  had  a  very  happy  way  of  introducing  subjects 
of  serious  moment  in  occasional  visits,  and  no  family 
of  his  people  perhaps  ever  felt  under  any  unpleasant 
restraint  by  his  presence,  or  felt  obliged  to  converse 
about  serious  things  because  their  pastor  was  present. 
In  visitino-  the  sick  lie  was  untirino-  when  he  thouo^ht 
his  visits  were  agreeable.  In  this  matter  he  had 
made  a  change  from  the  habit  of  his  earlier  years. 
It  had  been  his  custom,  when  first  settled,  and  for 
many  years,  to  call  upon  all  persons  in  his  parish 
whom  he  heard  were  attacked  with  dangerous  sick- 
ness, but  finding  at  times,  that  physicians  had  for- 
bidden any  visiting  at  the  side  of  the  patient's  bed, 
or   that   some   other   minister  of  Christ   had   been 


84 

called  in,  he  adopted  the  plan  of  waiting  until  sent 
for,  or  until  his  prayers  from  the  sacred  desk  had 
been  requested,  and  pursued  this  plan  in  general  to 
the  last. 

On  funeral  occasions  he  was  always  prompt  to  the 
hour  appointed,  and  from  his  sympathizing  manner 
seemed  to  enter  deeply  into  the  feelings  of  the 
mourning  family.  His  remarks  on  such  occasions 
were  generally  much  to  the  point.  He  never  said 
flattering  things  about  those  for  whom  he  had  no 
hope,  but  leaving  them  in  the  hands  of  the  great 
Judge,  endeavored  to  turn  the  attention  of  surviv- 
ing friends  towards  preparation  for  their  own  de- 
parture,— and  perhaps  all  who  have  been  familiar 
with  his  ministrations  in  the  house  of  mourning  will 
respond  to  the  assertion  that  he  was  more  happy  on 
such  occasions  than  most  ministers  whom  they  have 
had  opportunies  of  hearing,  or  than  he  himself  was 
in  his  more  studied  services  in  the  pulpit.  Nor  was 
it  only  in  the  house  of  mourning  that  Mr.  Bartlett 
was  enabled  to  appear  before  his  people  with  appro- 
priate and  timely  services — his  forte  was  perhaps  full 
as  distinguished  when  called  upon  to  perform  the 
nuptial  rite.  It  was,  indeed,  apparently,  the  duty 
most  congenial  to  him.  He  had  a  peculiar  reverence 
and  regard  to  the  marriage  relation,  having  himself 
enjoyed  more  happiness  in  the  wedded  life  than  falls 
to  the  lot  of  most  men,  he  encouraged  it  in  others, 
and  looked  upon  it  as  the  foundation  of  all  that  was 
good  and  pleasant  in  the  social  state,  and  who  that 
has  noticed  his  manner  on  such  occasions  docs  not 
remember  the  pleasant  aspect  of  his  countenance. 


85 

the  pressure  of  his  warm  grasp  of  congratulation, 
and  the  earnest  instructions  which  he  often  dealt  out 
to  those  whose  fate  for  life  he  had  linked  together. 
It  has  heen  a  custom  among  this  people  on  taking 
possession  of  their  new  abode,  to  invite  the  pastor 
with  other  friends,  that  a  blessing  might  be  invoked 
upon  the  dwelling  and  its  occupants — a  happy  cus- 
tom, and  long  may  its  observance  be  continued. 
To  such  invitations  he  responded  with  all  his  heart. 
Home  was  to  him  the  name  next  dearest  to  heaven, 
the  concentration  of  earth's  blessings,  and  the  place 
where  the  happiest  preparation  can  be  made  for  use- 
fulness here  and  blessedness  hereafter.  His  prayer, 
therefore,  at  such  times  was  no  formal  exercise,  his 
words  were  the  effusions  of  his  heart,  the  outpour- 
ings of  his  earnest  desires  for  heaven's  richest  bless- 
ings to  descend  and  rest  there ;  and  we  cannot  think 
such  offerings  have  been  in  vain,  nor  that  those 
dwellings  thus  consecrated  have  not  received  and 
are  not  now  receiving,  the  answers  to  his  sincere 
requests. 

There  is  one  more  duty  connected  with  his  pasto- 
ral service,  that  ought  not  to  be  passed  over  without 
mention.  It  was  not  a  public  service  ;  it  was  per- 
formed alone,  in  the  retirement  of  his  study,  in  his 
wakeful  hours  of  night.  When  his  people  were 
busy  in  their  fields  or  enjoying  the  peaceful  slumber 
that  "a  day  of  toil  has  earned."  Then  family  by 
family,  name  after  name,  would  he  borne  by  him  to 
the  throne  of  grace — not  one  was  forgotten,  but 
consecutively,  at  different  times,  made  the  special 
subjects  of  his  intercession.  Any  that  he  had  met 
8 


86 

through  the  day  with  whom  he  had  conversed,  or 
transacted  any  Inisiness,  whether  the  interview  had 
been  agreeable  or  of  a  trying  nature,  he  made  a 
point  of  praying  for  them  in  an  especial  manner. 

In  all  his  dealings  with  his  people,  whether  as  a 
neighbor,  or  in  any  matter  of  business,  those  who 
knew  him  can  testify  to  his  ardent  desire  to  act  upon 
purely  Christian  principles,  and  to  set  an  example 
of  forbearance  and  liberality.  He  never  bargained 
with  any  of  his  flock,  leaving  it  to  their  sense  of 
justice  as  to  the  price  of  any  commodity  which  was 
brought  to  him  for  sale,  or  which  he  wished  to  pur- 
chase of  them. 

His  belief  in  a  particular  Providence  was  very 
strong.  It  entered  into  all  his  arrangements  both 
of  a  public  and  private  nature,  and  his  views  of  the 
manner  in  which  we  should  seek  the  care  of  Provi- 
dence, were  peculiarly  just.  It  was  to  consult  the 
Lord  at  the  very  beginning.  If  his  children  or  him- 
self were  agitating  any  new  step,  he  would  arrange 
nothing,  conclude  upon  nothing  until  he  had  com- 
mitted the  matter  to  the  Lord,  and  then  watch  care- 
fully for  every  intimation  of  the  divine  will.  If  it 
was  a  journey,  and  it  had  been  decided  upon,  then 
his  petition  was  for  direction  in  appointing  the  time 
of  departure  and  for  a  blessing  on  all  the  circum- 
stances. As  his  children,  in  turn,  reached  adult 
years  and  might  be  called  upon  at  any  time  to  act 
upon  their  own  responsibility,  he  has  been  heard  to 
say  that  he  made  even  an  afternoon's  visit  by  them 
to  a  neighbor,  a  subject  of  prayer.  "  We  know  not," 
he  would  remark,  "  what  an  hours'  call  away  from 


87 

home  may  result  in  ;  the  wliole  after  course  of  their 
life  may  be  changed  by  it,'^  and  as  those  who  strictly 
mark  the  dealings  of  Providence,  behold  many  won- 
derful instances  of  divine  interposition,  he  could  also 
recount  remarkable  answers  to  his  strong  petitions 
for  the  aid  of  his  covenant  God. 

One  instance  of  a  public  nature  as  connected  with 
the  interests  of  the  ecclesiastical  society  over  which 
he  was  placed,  may  here  very  properly  be  mentioned. 
It  was  many  years  ago ;  the  principal  actors  have 
all  gone  to  give  up  their  account.  A  violent  oppo- 
sition to  the  well-being  of  the  society  had  been  ex- 
cited mainly  by  the  ill-will  of  one  man.  He  had, 
however,  in  his  day,  quite  an  amount  of  influence, 
and  there  was  no  inconsiderable  number  of  people 
belonging  to  the  society  ready  to  do  his  bidding.  A 
meeting  had  been  appointed.  The  friends  of  reli- 
gion and  of  good  order  were  greatly  alarmed,  and  on 
the  day  of  the  meeting,  many  of  them  called  at  the 
house  of  their  Pastor,  on  their  way  thither,  and  ex- 
pressed their  fears  that  the  enemy  would  triumph. 
His  heart,  however,  still  clung  to  the  hope  that  the 
Lord  would  frustrate  all  the  designs  of  the  wicked, 
and  he  encouraged  them  to  trust  likewise,  and  to  be 
fearless  in  duty.  As  the  hour  approached  for  the 
meeting,  large  wagon  loads  of  persons  evidently  bent 
upon  mischief  passed  furiously  along,  and  when  op- 
posite the  Pastor's  house,  gave  full  vent  to  their 
feelings  in  shouts  and  laughter. 

It  w^as  indeed  a  trying  moment,  and  the  great  ad- 
versary appeared  ready  to  overpower  the  friends  of 
Christ. 


88 

When  the  hour  had  arrived  for  the  meeting,  Mr. 
Bartlett  went  into  his  study  and  there  like  Israel  of 
old,  wrestled  with  the  Angel  of  the  covenant.  Time 
passed  unheeded  by  him,  and  while  yet  upon  his 
knees,  the  wagons  began  to  pass  on  their  way  from 
the  assembly,  and  presently  he  was  called  for  from 
his  retirement.  At  once  he  came,  and  was  met  by 
a  cordial  grasp  of  the  hand,  from  one  of  those  who 
had  parted  from  him  in  so  much  despondency — "  Mr. 
Bartlett " — the  tear  had  started,  and  the  good  man 
found  it  difficult  to  get  out  his  words — "  Mr.  Bart- 
lett, I  believe  you  must  have  been  praying  for  us. 
It  seems  all  like  a  miracle — the  enemy  that  was  so 
bold  and  threatening  without,  had  nothing  to  say  at 
the  meeting,  and  they  could  do  nothing.  The 
friends  of  the  church  feel  stronger  now  than  ever. 
The  Lord  be  praised." 

He  was  a  wise  counselor,  and  a  true  friend  to  all 
his  people  who  came  to  him  in  their  difficulties. 
He  faithfully  kept  their  secrets,  and  gave  such  ad- 
vice as  his  Christian  principles  dictated,  in  all  cases 
endeavoring  to  throw  oil  upon  the  waters  of  strife, 
and  to  give  true  consolation  to  the  wounded  spirit. 
Perhays  none  ever  went  to  him  under  any  circum- 
stances of  trouble  that  did  not  go  away  with  a 
lighter  heart,  with  their  sore  spirits  soothed  by  his 
calm  and  kind  manner,  and  his  gentle  exhortations 
to  trust  in  God  and  serve  him  with  a  pure  heart. 

His  treatment  of  those  who  lived  in  the  open  vio- 
lation of  some  of  the  commandments  of  the  Lord, 
was  of  such  a  nature  as  never  to  drive  them  from 
him.     He  rebuked  their  sins  as  he  had  opportunity^ 


89 

while  his  kind  and  affectionate  notice  of  them,  when 
they  came  in  his  way,  disarmed  them  of  all  hard 
feelings,  and  caused  them  to  respect  in  his  person 
the  religion  he  professed.  Often  has  the  writer 
heard  such  persons  speak  of  him  with  much  rever- 
ence, and  while  calling  professors  of  religion  in 
general,  "all  to  naught,"  they  would  say,  "If  all 
men  were  like  Mr.  Bartlett,  they  might  believe  there 
was  something  in  religion."  A  poor  excuse  indeed 
for  their  own  disobedience,  and  an  evidence  that 
they  could  discern  between  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked.  In  this  he  doubtless  walked  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  master  who  went  about  among  publi- 
cans and  sinners,  and  while  warning  them  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come,  ceased  not  to  pity  their  dis- 
tresses, and  did  them  good  as  he  had  opportunity. 

His  attention  to  the  children  of  his  flock  was  also 
a  peculiarity  in  his  ministrations  that  has  done  much 
in  accomplishing  his  work,  and  implanted  an  inter- 
est for  him  in  the  hearts  of  very  many  which  will 
never  die  away.  He  never  passed  a  child  without 
especial  notice,  and  for  many  years  could  call  any 
child  among  his  people  by  name. 

He  walked  before  his  people  a  living  example  of 
true  religion.  His  path  was  a  plain,  steady  path  of 
unaffected  piety.  The  tongue  of  scandal  was  never 
heard  against  him,  it  could  find  no  stain  upon  his 
pure  character,  to  feed  its  malignity.  He  never 
wandered  into  a  dubious  path,  nor  did  an  act  of 
questionable  character.  He  loved  his  people — he 
did  his  best  for  their  temporal  and  eternal  welfare, 

8* 


90 

and  his  record  is  in  many  hearts  on  earth,  and  we 
doubt  not,  well  registered  in  heaven. 

Fifty  years  is  a  long  period  in  the  relations  of  life, 
and  seldom  is  it  exceeded, — and  the  providence  of 
God  had  determined  that  the  pastoral  connection  of 
his  Servant  to  the  people  he  had  so  long  watched 
over,  should  be  brought  to  a  close,  and  its  results 
sealed  up. 

The  last  public  services  which  Mr.  Bartlett  per- 
formed were  in  the  month  of  Dec. ,  1854.  An  appoint- 
ment had  been  made  for  the  consecration  of  a  house 
of  worship,  at  Broad  Brook.  It  was  a  stormy  day, 
one  of  the  worst  of  the  season,  and  he  being  the  only 
minister  present  on  the  occasion,  all  the  service  de- 
volved upon  him.  On  the  following  Sabbath  he  was 
invited  to  preach  there,  and  although  then  suffering 
from  his  previous  exposure,  he  went  through  the 
duties  of  the  day.  A  severe  attack  of  influenza 
succeeded,  from  which  he  appeared  partially  to  re- 
cover, and  from  which  his  physician  hoped  he  would 
be  finally  relieved  in  the  opening  spring.  By  those 
who  were  about  him,  however,  fears  began  to  be  en- 
tertained that  the  disease  was  gradually  undermin- 
ing his  constitution. 

To  himself  these  signs  were  not  so  evident — he 
felt  no  pain — his  appetite  was  good,  and  his  mind 
enjoyed  its  usual  elasticity.  Life  had  many  endear- 
ments to  him  even  on  the  shore  of  eternity — his 
house  Avas  still  the  abode  of  pleasantness  and  peace, 
— his  children  and  friends  still  had  a  warm  place  in 
his  heart — the  faces  of  his  people  had  the  same 
charm  as  ever,  and  above  all  she  was  about  him,  who 


91 

had  been  the  object  of  unchanging  affection  from 
the  time  when  in  youth  he  won  her  love.  Her  smile 
still  gladdened  him,  and  her  winning  ways  were  even 
more  sacredly  dear  to  him  than  ever.  No  wonder 
then  if  his  heart  still  lingered  where  he  had  been  so 
long,  and  enjoyed  so  much. 

But  when  the  returning  spring  brought  no  vigor 
to  his  system,  and  his  wasting  frame  began  to  assure 
him  that  his  food  did  not  impart  its  accustomed 
nourishment,  he  readily  yielded  to  the  sign  that  his 
Master  had  no  more  work  for  him  here,  and  that  it 
was  his  will  that  he  should  depart  hence.  The  as- 
surance changed  not  the  current  of  his  feelings — it 
broke  not  one  tender  chord  that  bound  him  to  life. 
He  had  held  every  friend,  and  all  other  blessings,  as 
the  gifts  of  his  Heavenly  Father,  and  was  fully  pre- 
pared to  acquiesce  in  the  command,  to  strike  his 
tent  and  bid  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  earth. 

His  worldly  matters  were  easily  arranged,  and  he 
had  but  little  to  do  in  putting  his  house  in  order — 
for  he  had  lived  wisely — no  debts  had  been  incurred, 
and  although  he  knew  that  at  his  death  his  beloved 
wife  would  be  dependent  upon  the  little  property 
they  had  by  prudence  preserved,  he  would  not  allow 
a  word  of  distrust  to  be  spoken  in  his  presence. 

He  had  no  special  preparation  to  make  on  his  own 
account — he  had  been  doing  that  for  sixty  years,  and 
had  no  new  arrangements  to  trouble  himself  with. 
He  conversed  freely  about  the  event  that  was  ap- 
proaching, with  the  same  calmness  as  was  usual 
with  him  in  reference  to  any  concern  in  life. 

By  degrees  he  gave  up  his  duties  as  the  head  of  a 


92 

family,  as  he  had  done  those  of  the  pastor  of  his 
flock,  having  placed  in  the  hands  of  his  colleague, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Andrevrs,  the  book  of  records  belong- 
ing to  the  church,  which  for  fifty  years  he  had  faith- 
fully kept.  The  morning  and  evening  service  at  the 
family  altar  was  the  last  duty  he  resigned,  having 
continued  it  for  some  time  after  he  was  too  feeble  to 
stand  ;  his  usual  posture  at  family  prayers.  Still  he 
was  not  confined  to  his  bed,  nor  did  he  relinquish 
his  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  household,  although 
he  had  ceased  to  regulate  ;  but  expressed  continued 
satisfaction  in  having  all  things  go  on  as  they  had 
ever  done. 

Letters  from  his  children  had  been  a  source  of 
great  comfort  to  him  for  many  years  ;  as  the  most  of 
them  were  far  away,  and  the  only  communion  they 
could  hold  together  was  by  writing.  This  pleasure 
he  enjoyed  to  the  last ;  and  when  the  letters  were 
read  to  him,  he  sympathised  apparently  as  much  in 
all  their  expressions  of  love  for  him,  and  their  Heav- 
enly Father,  as  he  ever  had  ;  and  to  all  of  them  he 
would  dictate  some  word  of  comfort  and  encourage- 
ment. 

At  length  the  hour  arrived  that  he  could  "  go  no 
more  in  and  out,"  in  that  abode  where  he  had  so 

long   dwelt.     On  Sabbath   morning^,   the he 

arose  as  usual,  and  dressed  himself,  but  soon  laid 
aside  his  garments  and  composed  himself  Upon  the 
bed,  from  which  he  felt  he  was  no  more  to  arise. 
Hearing  whait  had  taken  place,  the  writer  of  this 
immediately  repaired  to  his  bed-side,  for  he  knew 
that  his  hour  must  be  near  at  hand. 


93 

"  My  Dear  Son  : — I  am  glad  to  see  you — you  are 
dear  to  me  as  the  rest  of  my  children,"  and  opening 
his  arms  gave  him  an  affectionate  embrace. 

I  am  going,  my  son,  the  way  of  all  the  earth,  but 
all  the  days  of  my  appointed  time  I  will  wait  until 
my  change  come — I  have  great  peace  of  mind — 
greater  than  I  can  express.  Oh,  the  goodness  of  the 
Lord !  I  can  not  tell  how  much  I  enjoy,  and  have 
ever  enjoyed  since  the  first  hour  I  put  my  trust  in 
the  Lord." 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  his  end  was  near  at 
hand,  all  his  children  who  could  leave  their  homes, 
flocked  to  him,  that  they  might  with  their  own  hands 
minister  to  his  weakness,  and  day  and  night  they 
were  about  his  bed,  attending  to  every  wish,  admin- 
istering to  every  necessity,  and  doing  all  that  lo^dng 
hearts  could  do,  to  smooth  each  roughness  from  his 
path,  and  make  his  passage  into  eternity  as  easy  as 
mortal  love  could  make  it. 

It  was  a  dying  scene  undisturbed  by  regrets  or 
remorse — they  had  been  brought  up  in  love  and  obe- 
dience— they  had  walked  together  in  harmony  and 
peace — all  had  been  trained  to  submission  to  the 
divine  will — and  though  the  tears  would  fall  as  they 
bent  over  his  emaciated  frame,  yet  they  were  only 
such  as  love  must  weep  when  dear  earthly  ties  are 
sundering. 

His  people,  too,  flocked  in  to  see  him  and  offer 
their  aid.  Some  of  them  at  the  first  he  was  able  to 
converse  with  and  bid  farewell ;  but  as  his  weakness 
increased,  the  effort  to  speak  aloud  became  too  pain- 
ful to  allow  of  this  privilege,  and  it  was  thought 
best  to  deny  admission  to  his  room,  and  in  one  or 


94 

two  instances  with  great  reluctance  this  was  ad- 
hered to  ;  but  when  the  dying  pastor  heard  that  some 
of  his  people  had  been  there  and  gone  without  see- 
ing him,  he  requested  that  all  who  came  might  be 
permitted  to  take  their  last  look  at  him  in  life, 
although  he  could  not  speak  to  them ;  and  many  a 
sad  but  much  loved  countenance  passed  before  him, 
and  doubtless  received  his  blessing  although  he  lay 
mute  as  in  the  attitude  of  death. 

His  brethren  in  the  ministry  came  also  to  say  fare- 
well to  one  who  had  so  long  stood  with  them  on  the 
walls  of  Zion ;  and  he  rejoiced  to  see  them  and  to 
listen  to  their  prayers.  To  one  of  them  who  had  in 
his  petition,  prayed  that  God  would  sustain  his  serv- 
ant "  through  the  dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,"  Mr.  Bartlett  remarked  when  his  friend  arose 
and  stood  by  him, 

"  Brother ,  I  believe  you  have  misquoted 

that  passage  of  scripture — it  is  '  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death ' — not  the  dark  valley." 

The  error  was  at  once  acknowledged. 

"  And  you  do  not  find  it  so.  Brother  Bai-tlett  ?  " 
"  Oh  no !  far  from  it — blessed  be  God,  it  is  not 
dark — Oh  no  !  " 

And  blessed  be  God,  let  all  say,  who  have  hope  in 
Jesus  Christ.  That  valley  lieth  too  near  the  con- 
fines of  his  own  glorious  habitation.  Shadows  in- 
deed rest  upon  it,  but  there  are  always  beams  of  light 
streaming  through  the  dark  mantle,  and  throwing 
their  heavenly  radiance  around  the  trembling  spirit. 
Oh  no  !  It  is  not  dark  to  those  who  have  com- 
mitted the  keeping  of  their  souls  to  Jesus. 


95 

And  on  Jesus,  this  servant  of  God  kept  a  firm  and 
steady  hold  to  the  very  last.  No  fear,  no  doubt,  no 
cloud,  dimmed  his  clear  vision,  or  troubled  his  pass- 
ing spirit.  He  watched  with  a  firm  look  the  steady 
approach  of  death,  marking  his  own  pulse,  and  fol- 
lowing the  life  current  as  it  drooped  and  retrograded 
to  the  heart. 

And  thus  he  sunk  to  rest. 

At  length,  the  day  arrived  which  was  to  witness 
the  last  tokens  of  affection  by  a  whole  parish,  to  him 
who  had  been  for  fifty  years  their  spiritual  teacher, 
their  warm  friend,  and  their  honest  adviser. 

It  was  a  beautiful  summer  morning,  and  by  eleven 
o'clock,  all  who  were  able  to  leave  their  homes,  be- 
longing to  his  own  parish,  had  assembled  at  the  old 
meeting-house,  and  with  them  many  from  neigh- 
boring parishes,  for  his  name  was  revered  far  beyond 
the  bounds  of  his  own  charge. 

Relations  and  intimate  friends  had  gathered 
within  the  mansion  where  the  deceased  lay,  with 
many  of  the  neighboring  clergy.  By  one  of  the  lat- 
ter a  prayer  was  offered  in  the  house  of  mourning, 
and  then  the  coffin,  with  its  sacred  deposit,  was 
borne  off  towards  the  house  of  God. 

As  the  sad  procession  reached  the  church,  it 
passed  through  a  double  row  of  those  who  wished 
to  pay  the  highest  token  of  respect  to  the  remains  of 
the  departed.  They  were  uncovered,  and  their 
drooping  heads  manifested  the  real  sympathy  their 
hearts  felt — and  as  the  precious  burden  was  borne 
up  the  stairs  and  into  the  aisle,  many  a  strong  arm 
was  stretched  forth  to  aid  in  bearing  it  with  as  little 


96 

disturbance  to  the  pale,  cold  sleeper,  as  could  pos- 
sibly be. 

Beneath  the  desk  where  the  deceased  had  so  often 
ministered,  sufficiently  elevated  for  all  to  see,  the 
corpse  was  placed  at  rest. 

The  choir  sung  its  funeral  ode.  A  prayer  was 
offered  up  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Andrews,  the  as- 
sociate pastor  of  the  church,  followed  by  a  discourse 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Tyler,  of  East  Windsor  Theologi- 
cal Institute,  and  the  services  closed  by  a  prayer 
from  Rev.  Dr.  Bedell,  of  Hartford. 

The  religious  service  being  over,  the  coffin-lid  was 
turned  down  and  an  opportunity  offered  to  all  pres- 
ent for  a  last  view  of  him  they  had  known  and 
loved  in  life.  In  solemn  procession  the  whole  con- 
gregation passed  before  the  silent  dead — and  as  they 
cast  their  eye  upon  those  well-remembered  features, 
many  an  aged  one  would  pause  and  take  a  lingering 
look,  and  then  with  clasped  hands  and  falling  tears, 
pass  on  their  way.  Death  had  robbed  them  of  one 
whose  place  in  their  hearts  could  never  be  filled 
again. 

Once  more  the  lid  of  the  coffin  is  closed,  and 
closed  forever — and  the  long  procession  follows  to 
the  grave. 

Ashes  to  ashes,  and  dust  to  dust,  and  the  mortal 
remains  of  the  beloved  pastor  are  shut  away  from 
human  view,  while  his  flock  departs  each  to  his  sepa- 
rate home,  to  ponder  on  the  closing  scene  of  that 
connection  which  had  bound  them  to  the  departed 
for  more  than  half  a  century. 


SERMON, 


[The  following  sermon  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Bartlett  for  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  his  pastoral  charge.  Indisposition  prevented  his  deUver- 
ing  it  at  the  time,  nor  was  he  ever  able  so  to  do.  The  Sabbath  after  his 
funeral  it  was  read  to  the  congregation  by  his  son-in-law,  the  Rev.  Sam- 
uel K.  Brown.] 

HEBREWS,  13  :    7,    17. 
"  Remember  them  which  have  the  rule  over  you,  who  have 

SPOKEN  UNTO  YOU  THE  WORD  OF  GOD.  ObEY  THEM  THAT 
HAVE  THE  RULE  OVER  YOU  AND  SUBMIT  YOURSELVES,  FOR 
THEY  WATCH  FOR  YOUR  SOULS  AS  THEY  THAT  MUST  GIVE 
ACCOUNT,  THAT  THEY  »IAY  DO  IT  WITH  JOY  AND  NOT  WITH 
GRIEF." 

Fifty  years  ago,  according  to  the  united  invitation 
of  the  church  and  society  which  then  existed  in  this 
place,  I  took,  with  divine  help  I  hope,  the  infinitely 
important  office  of  a  spiritual  watchman  over  their 
souls,  under  the  great  watchman  of  Israel.  On  that 
interesting  day,  my  watchmanship  here  was  all  in 
prospect, — all  in  the  future.  Now,  fifty  years  of  it 
are  past  and  have  become  a  deeply  interesting  his- 
tory in  the  l5ook  of  records  of  the  heart-searching 
^'' Judge  of  all  the  Earth." 

The  first  sermon  that  I  preached  in  this  same 
house,  as  the  ordained  pastor  of  the  church  and 
congregation  then  here,  was  from  those  solemn 
words  addressed  by  Jehovah  to  his  prophet  Ezekiel, 
and  recorded  in  the  33d  chapter  and  7th  verse  of  the 
9 


98 

book  written  by  that  prophet,  thus,  "  So  thou,  oh ! 
son  of  man,  I  have  set  thee  a  watchman  unto  the 
house  of  Israel ;  therefore  thou  shalt  hear  the  word 
at  my  mouth,  and  warn  them  from  me." 

In  all  my  mmistrations  of  instruction  and  warn- 
ing in  all  the  ''  concerns  of  life  and  godliness,"  in 
private  and  in  public,  amongst  this  people,  it  has 
been  my  endeavor,  with  watchfulness  and  prayer, 
relying  on  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  speak  and 
act  according  to  the  principles  contained  in  those 
words.  The  same  principles  of  truth  are  compre- 
hended ■  in  the  words  of  the  apostle  which  I  have 
chosen  for  my  text  on  the  present  occasion,  though 
they  were  put  upon  record,  as  the  word  of  God,  six 
hundred  and  fifty-two  years  after  those  were  written 
by  the  prophet. 

It  is  the  word  of  God  alone  which  gives  authority  to 
any  pastor,  to  any  spiritual  watchman.  If  any  speak 
not  according  to  this  word,  as  God  sees  it,  it  is  be- 
cause that  so  far  as  they  deviate  from  it,  as  he  sees 
it  and  has  revealed  it,  there  is  no  light  of  truth  in 
them.  "And  have  ye  not  spoken  a  lying  divination  ?  " 
saith  God  to  such,  "  whereas  ye  say  the  Lord  said  it ; 
albeit  I  have  not  spoken."  If  in  my  professed 
preaching  to  you  in  public,  or  in  my  professed  teach- 
ing you  in  private,  I  have  spoken  anything  to  you 
which  was  not,  in  His  sight,  according  to  the  word 
of  God  in  its  purity,  you  are  under  no  obligation  to 
obey  it. 

My  object  in  addressing  you  on  this  occasion  is, 
as  far  as  I  am  able,  to  give  you,  with  the  help  of 
God,  a  history  of  my  watch  over  this  church  and 


99 

people,  and  of  the  effects  of  my  watchful  care  and 
labors  over  those  whom  the  great  watchman  of  Is- 
rael has  committed  to  my  care,  during  fifty  years 
past,  that  is,  from  the  fifteenth  day  of  February,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord,  eighteen  hundred  four,  to  the 
fifteenth  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord, 
eighteen  hundred  fifty-four. 

In  the  forms  of  language  used  in  the  sacred  scrip- 
tures, we  are  taught  that  it  is  proper  to  call  the 
church  and  congregation,  or  Ecclesiastical  Society, 
assembled  here  to-day,  the  same  church  and  society 
who  met  in  this  sacred  house  fifty  years  ago,  by 
whose  desire  I  took  upon  myself,  under  God,  the 
office  of  a  spiritual  watchman ;  although  almost  all 
who  were  twenty  years  of  age  then,  and  many  who 
were  under  twenty,  are  either  gone  into  eternity  or 
to  other  places  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  privileges 
of  the  gospel,  or  to  other  places,  (painful  thought,) 
habitually  to  neglect  these  precious  privileges,  or  to 
be  led  astray  from  the  right  way  by  those  who  teach 
the  "  inventions  of  men "  instead  of  the  word  of 
God. 

There  are  but  six  men  now  living  and  members  of 
this  society  who  were  living  and  acting  members  of 
the  society  fifty  years  ago,  and  were  then  over  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  (Messrs.  Daniel  Phelps,  John 
Bancroft,  Daniel  Allen,  Stephen  Potwine,  Gains 
Booth  and  Lawrence  Bissell,)  and  there  is  but  one 
member  of  the  church,  (Mrs.  Wareham  Crane,) 
now  living,  that  was  a  resident  member  of  it  fifty 
years  ago.  And  not  one  of  you  who  hear  me  to-day, 
who  is  not  more  than  fifty  years  of  age,  heard  the 


100 

first  sermon  I  preached  in  this  sacred  house  as  the 
Pastor  of  this  church  and  society.  Oh,  how  clianged 
the  places  and  conditions  of  those  who  are  gone  of 
this  assembly  who  gathered  to  hear  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  in  this  house  fifty  years  ago !  and  how 
changed  the  faces  and  conditions  of  those  that  re- 
main of  that  assembly  and  are  here  this  day ! 

On  the  tenth  day  of  January,  fifty-one  years  ago 
the  present  winter,  eight  weeks  after  the  death  of 
their  revered  and  beloved  pastor,  Mr.  Thomas  Pot- 
wine,  this  society  held  a  meeting  in  which  they  ap- 
pointed an  agent,  (Caleb  Booth,  Esq.,)  to  go  to  the 
Hartford  North  Association  to  ask  their  advice  con- 
cerning the  procuring  of  a  candidate  to  come  and 
preach  to  them  on  probation  as  their  future  pastor, 
if  the  Lord  should  direct  it  to  be  so.  Nine  days  after 
this,  after  this  advice  had  been  asked  and  received, 
this  agent  came  to  me  with  the  request  that  I  would 
come  and  preach  to  this  people  on  those  conditions. 

The  ministers  of  this  association  were  then  engaged 
supplying  this  destitute  church  and  people,  endeav- 
oring, as  far  as  they  were  able,  to  make  up  the  sal- 
ary to  the  widow  of  their  deceased  pastor  till  the 
first  of  May,  the  end  of  the  year,  as  was  the  custom 
in  those  days. 

As  soon  as  the  way  seemed  to  be  opened  by  Di- 
vine Providence,  I  came  and  preached  several  months 
among  you,  during  the  last  few  weeks  of  which  time 
your  fathers  prepared  and  brought  to  me  an  invita- 
tion that  I  would  take,  under  the  great  and  good 
Shepherd,  the  charge  of  a  pastor  over  them. 

After  due  time  spent  in  secret  meditation  and  ask- 


101 

ing  the  advice  of  human  friends,  studying  the  lan- 
guage of  God's  Providence  and  asking  for  His  wis- 
dom to  guide  me,  I  sent  an  affirmative  answer  to 
your  invitation, — that  I  was  willing  to  become,  with 
the  help  of  God,  your  spiritual  watchman. 

You  have  my  answer  in  full  in  the  records  of  your 
society,  which  I  need  not  here  repeat.  Very  soon 
after  this  the  time  was  appointed  and  other  prepara- 
tions made  to  have  my  ordination  take  place  on  the 
fifteenth  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord, 
eighteen  hundred  four. 

A  day  which  has  been,  ever  since  its  appointment ^ 
a  solemn  day  to  my  mind  and  my  heart  for  fifty  years 
past,  and  a  day  which  I  shall  remember  when  you 
and  I  and  many  who  have  gone  before  us  into  eter- 
nity, shall  appear  at  the  last  day  of  time,  at  the 
judgment  seat  of  Christ ;  yea,  a  day  which  I  and 
many  others  will  remember  during  all  the  ages  of 
eternity  with  more  and  more  vivid  interest. 

Among  other  preparations  for  my  ordination,  this 
church  and  society  cheerfully,  and  I  was  told  unan- 
imously, according  to  my  request  and  according  to 
the  custom  of  our  forefathers  and  apostolic  example, 
appointed  and  kept  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  a  few 
days  previous  ;  and  it  is  proper  that  I  should  here 
introduce  the  vote  of  the  church  in  reference  to  this. 

"  Voted,  that  in  concurrence  with  the  desire  of 
the  pastor  elect,  and  agreeable  to  the  pious  custom 
of  our  forefathers  on  like  occasions,  to  set  apart 
Thursday,  the  9th  day  of  February  next,  to  be  ob- 
served as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  preparatory  to 
the  ordination ;  to  implore  the  presence  and  aid  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  head  of  the  church, 


102 

that  lie  would  humble  us  under  the  late  frowns  of 
His  Providence,  and  make  us  sensible  of  our  entire 
dependence  on  Him  ;  that  He  would '  heal  our  back- 
slidings  and  love  us  freely ; '  that  He  would  own 
and  abundantly  bless  this  His  own  institution  ;  that 
he  would  pour  out  His  spirit  and  blessing  on  His 
servant,  the  pastor  elect,  and  on  this  church  and  so- 
ciety, that  they  may  become  a  holy,  and  in  that  way 
a  happy  people  ;  that  the  pastor  elect  and  this  church 
and  society  may  be  mutual  blessings  to  each  other 
for  a  great  while  to  come.  Voted  to  invite  the  soci- 
ety to  join  with  us  herein." 

This  vote  was  prepared  and  recorded  by  one  who 
was,  at  the  time  it  was  passed,  one  of  the  fathers  in 
the  church,  (Mr.  Samuel  Bartlett,)  and  according 
to  the  spirit  of  the  prayer  here  expressed,  very  great 
blessings  have  been  bestowed  upon  the  descendants 
of  the  good  man  who  wrote  it,  and  upon  many  oth- 
ers who  have  been  connected  with  them  in  the  en- 
joyment of  the  privileges  of  the  gospel,  by  the  rich 
grace  of  God  in  Christ.     The  season  of  fasting  and 
prayer  was   kept  with   solemnity,  and   at   the   ap- 
pointed time  the  ordaining  council  assembled,  (not 
one  of  which  is  now  alive  on  the  earth,)  the  pastor 
elect  was  examined  and  unanimously  approved  by 
them,  and  the  solemn  services  of  the  ordination  were 
performed  to  the  edification  of  a  numerous  assembly, 
by  far  the  greatest  part  of  which  are  now  in  eternity. 
This  ordaining  council  did  not  convey  to  me  any 
authority  over  this  people,  as  your  pastor  or  spiritual 
watchman.     The  meaning  of  their  transactions  is, 
that  having  examined  me  as  to  my  qualifications  to 
preach  the  gospel  and  administer  its  ordinances,  and 
perform  the  duties  of  a  pastor,  and  the  invitation  of 


103 

this  people  that  I  would  dwell  permanently  among 
them  to  do  these  services,  and  my  hearty  compliance 
with  this  invitation,  they  gave  it,  and  thus  publicly 
sanctioned  it,  as  their  judgment  that  the  Providence 
of  God  plainly  called  me,  by  the  influence  of  his 
word  and  spirit,  to  take  the  office  of  a  spiritual  watch- 
man over  those  who  had  invited  me  to  do  so  and 
over  others  connected  with  them.  Now  since  I  was 
not  self  sent,  but  approved  by  the  best  judges  which 
the  nature  of  the  case  allowed,  amongst  my  fellow 
men,  as  one  qualified  by  the  providence  and  by  the 
spirit  of  God  to  be  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ, 
among  you,  and  with  godly  sincerity  and  as  far  as  I 
have  preached  the  truths  of  the  gospel  and  adminis- 
tered its  ordinances  without  any  dangerous  criminal 
additions  or  diminutions  of  human  inventions,  I  have 
had,  fpr  fifty  years  past,  and  still  have  authority  in 
the  visible  church  of  Christ,  not  from  men,  but  from 
the  truths  of  God,  which,  with  his  help,  I  have 
preached  and  loved  and  obeyed  among  you.  And 
from  these  truths  I  have  authority  from  their  divine 
author,  and  this  is  the  authority  to  which  the  apostle 
Paul  exhorts  mankind  to  submit,  and  the  disobedi- 
ence to  which  will  cause  "  grief"  when  men  give  up 
their  account  at  the  last  day. 

'  "  Indeed,"  says  an  eminently  godly  minister, 
''  the  exercise  of  authority  by  evangelical  pastors, 
consists  not  in  giving  laws  or  publishing  doctrines  of 
their  own  inventions,  or  in  exercising  any  authority 
of  their  own,  but  in  explaining,  establishing  and  de- 
fending the  laws  and  doctrines  of  Christ,  and  incul- 
cating them  on  the  consciences  and  hearts  of  men  by 


104 

Clirist's  sole  authority ;  and  exemplifying  them  in 
their  holy  faith  and  holy  conversation,  according  to 
what  they  have  received  by  their  commission,  and 
can  prove  that  they  have  received  them  from  Him 
as  contained  in  his  word.  All  pretences  to  author- 
ity in  and  from  the  church  beyond  this,  is  really  an 
usurpation,  an  anti-christian  lordship,  instead  of  be 
ing  entirely  subordinate,  as  it  ever  ought  to  be,  to 
the  authority  of  Christ." 

I  thought,  at  that  season  of  solemn  fasting  and 
prayer,  mentioned  above,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  did 
guide  our  fathers,  and  whoever  of  others  then  united 
with  them  in  their  solemn  supplications  at  that 
time  ;  and  fifty  years  of  experience  have  confirmed 
me  in  my  judgment,  that  it  pleased  God  to  help  our 
fathers  and  others  with  them  to  pray  for  those  bless- 
ings which  he  has  been  pleased  from  that  time  to 
this  day  to  bestow  on  us  and  our  children,  and  others 
who  have  enjoyed  with  us  the  blessings  of  his  re- 
deeming love.  Whatever  I  speak  to  you  to-day, 
mentioning  what  I  have  spoken  and  done  rightly 
amongst  you  during  fifty  years  past  as  a  watchman 
under  Christ,  over  the  souls  of  my  charge,  I  have 
done  with  the  help  of  his  grace,  and  the  praise  of  it 
all  belongs  to  God',  and  trust  that  God  helps  me  to 
feel  the  highest  joy  concerning  it,  when  the  glory  of 
it  is  all  ascribed  to  him. 

I  have  habitually  taught  you  in  public  and  in  pri- 
vate, that  the  right  performance  of  sacred  music, 
that  is,  the  singing  of  "  psalms  and  hymns  and  spir- 
itual songs,"  is  an  highly  important  part  of  true  re- 
ligion, for  instruction  and  ,comfort  to  the  soul ;  and 


105 

that  we  mav  have  the  full  benefit  of  it,  it  ought  to 
be  done  skillfully  and  in  the  fear  of  God  as  the 
Psalmist  David  directs.  And  for  the  honor  of  God, 
and  my  great  gratification,  this  church  and  society 
have  been  in  the  way  of  making  special  efforts  to 
perpetuate  and  increase  useful  skill  among  your- 
selves in  this  department.  And  for  this  purpose  you. 
have  hired,  once  in  a  few  years,  either  from  amongst 
yourselves,  or  from  abroad,  a  skillful  teacher  of 
sacred  singing.  And  it  has  been  my  practice  gener- 
ally, till  within  a  very  few  years  past,  when  you  have 
thus  hired  a  teacher,  to  meet  with  the  choir  and 
learn  to  sing  with  them  and  give  them  some  appro- 
priate instructions  concerning  the  temper  of  heart 
and  frame  of  mind  with  which  we  ought  to  sing 
sacred  songs  so  as  to  be  accepted  of  God  in  our  sing- 
ing ;  and  to  close  these  meetings  with  prayer.  And 
so  happily  has  the  blessing  of  God  attended  these 
special  efforts  to  increase  our  practical  skill  in  sing- 
ing sacred  songs,  that  in  as  many  as  in  eight  or  ten 
instances,  during  my  ministry  among  you,  a  special 
revival  of  religion  has  very  soon  followed  these 
special  seasons  of  the  revival  of  our  practical  skill 
in  singing  songs  of  praise  to  God.  In  these  songs 
of  Zion,  we  sing  the  doctrines,  the  laws,  the  warn- 
ings, the  precepts  and  instructions  which  teach  the 
scheme  of  truth  contained  in  the  word  of  God,  so 
far  as  they  are  faithfully  drawn  from  the  fountain  of 
God's  written  revelation — yea  they  teach  us  the  way 
of  salvation  by  Christ ;  and  much  of  the  saints'  ex- 
perience in  their  pilgrimage  through  this  world,  and 
their  triumphant  entrance  immediately  after  death 


106 

with  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect  in  hohness^ 
into  the  active  and  glorious  employments  of  their 
eternal  home  in  the  heavens.  Of  these  precious 
seasons  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
that  is,  revivals  of  religion  by  which  this  church  has 
been  continued,  and  from  time  to  time,  within  fifty 
years  past,  been  greatly  nourished,  increased  in  num- 
bers, and  enriched  in  its  useful  influence  at  home 
and  abroad,  I  shall  endeavor  to  speak  more  particu- 
larly during  my  address  to  you  this  day. 

When  I  took  my  station  among  you  as  your  pas- 
tor, the  clerk  of  the  church  put  into  my  hands  the 
book  of  church  records,  which  I  have  used  ever 
since,  containing  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  men 
only,  who  were  then  members  of  the  church. 

The  number  was  thirty-two.  It  stands  recorded 
in  the  hand-writing  of  the  clerk  of  this  church,  fifty 
years  ago,  that  the  records  of  this  church  from  its 
first  formation  till  the  death  of  its  first  pastor,  Rev. 
Thomas  Potwine,  which  took  place  November  15th, 
1802,  are  all  lost. 

As  I  had  opportunity  I  sought  out  the  names  of 
those  women  who  were  then  members  of  this  church, 
which  are  found  to  be  twenty-four ;  so  that  the 
whole  number  of  the  members  then  was  fifty-six. 
Since  that  time  five  hundred  and  twenty-four  have 
been  added ;  four  hundred  and  fifty-two  from 
amongst  ourselves,  and  seventy-two  by  recommenda- 
tion from  other  churches.  Of  these,  one  hundred 
and  seventy-six  have  been  regularly  dismissed  and 
recommended  to  other  churches.  Five  have  been 
excommunicated  as  incorrigible  apostates,  and  one 


107 

hundred  and  fifty-two  have  died.  Some  of  the  rest 
have  gone  to  places  unknown  to  us,  and  have  lost 
their  regular  standing  with  us.  So  that  there  are 
not  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  who  are 
regularly  members  of  this  church  at  the  present 
time. 

Fifty  years  ago  there  was  but  one  house  for  public 
worship  within  the  limits  of  this  ecclesiastical  society, 
and  there  were  but  two  till  1827  ;  and  at  one  time 
during  that  period,  there  were  two  hundred  and 
ninety  members  of  this  church.  But  now  there  are 
six  houses  for  public  worship  within  our  limits ; 
two  Congregational,  two  Episcopal,  and  two  Metho- 
dist— and  some  of  the  members  of  our  former  con- 
gregations have,  of  course,  gone  from  us  to  aid  in 
building  up  the  others. 

The  first  revival. of  religion  which  I  enjoyed  with 
you  of  any  considerable  extent,  was  in  the  years  of 
our  Lord  1807  and  1808,  when  from  the  fruits  of  it? 
between  thirty  and  forty  hopefully  new-born  souls 
were  added  to  this  church.  Some  of  the  oldest 
members  of  this  church  who  are  now  lining,  remem- 
ber it  with  gratitude  to  God,  as  influencing  them  to 
make  a  public  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ. 

The  judgments  of  God  manifested  in  permitting 
einbarrassments  in  the  commercial  concerns  of  the 
nations  of  Europe,  with  whom  our  nation  was  neces- 
sarily and  essentially  connected,  which  greatly  em- 
barrassed, and  straitened,  and  afflicted  us  in  our 
daily  necessities  and  comforts  in  the  departments  of 
food  and  raiment,  greatly  tried  the  people  of  God, 
and  brought  them  often  to  the  throne  of  grace  as 


108 

the  only  source  of  relief,  and  then  the  rumors  of 
war,  and  after  a  few  years,  war  in  reality,  between, 
these  United  States  and  England,  with  all  its  horrors 
and  sufferings  ;  waste  of  the  bounties  of  God,  cruel- 
ties and  wrong,  heaven-provoking  crimes ;  a  war 
considered  by  many  of  the  wisest  men  in  our  country 
wholly  unnecessary,  was  permitted  to  come  upon  us 
as  a  mysteriously  righteous  scourge  of  God.  And 
soon  after  the  close  of  these  scenes  of  horror,  our 
righteous  and  holy  Sovereign  saw  fit  to  visit  us  with 
some  very  afflicting  instances  of  sickness  and  death. 
These  mingled  judgments  of  God  were  the  means, 
under  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence,  of  bringing  his 
people  to  search  the  scriptures  with  increasing  fre- 
quency, and  to  feel  the  word  of  God,  whether  read 
or  heard,  with  increasing  power  upon  the  conscience 
and  the  heart.  Under  such  influences  the  word  of 
God  was  preached  with  increasing  plainness,  and  was 
powerfully  applied  to  the  consciences  of  sinners,  to 
bring  them  to  feel  their  guilty  character  and  lost 
condition,  and  to  see  that  there  was  no  way  for  them 
to  escape  the  just  and  eternal  wrath  of  God,  but  to 
trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour 
of  sinners.  Under  these  influences  Christians  were 
restored  from  their  departings  from  God,  and  ex- 
cited to  pray  more  fervently,  and  with  increasing 
strength  of  faith  and  importunity,  and  to  hope  for 
answers  to  diligent  and  persevering  prayer,  from 
Him  who  taught  and  helped  them  to  believe,  that 
He  is  both  able  and  willing  to  give  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  those  who  sincerely  ask  for  his  influences  to  carry 
on  his  work  of  convincing  and  converting  sinners. 


109 

and  of  strengthening  the  faith  and  all  the  holy  affec- 
tions of  the  children  of  God. 

The  last  week  in  August,  and  the  first  week  in 
September  this  year,  the  year  of  our  Lord  1816, 
sinners  amongst  us  began  to  make  known  their  con- 
victions of  sin,  which  some  of  them  had  felt,  but 
had  kept  to  themselves  for  weeks,  and  earnestly  to 
inquire,  saying,  "  what  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ? " 
There  were  no  extraordinary  means  used  to  produce 
or  to  continue  this  precious  season  of  refreshing  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,  except  that  Cluistians 
spake  oftener  one  to  another  and  prayed  more  fre- 
quently and  with  greater  importunity,  and  the  word 
of  God  was  preached  more  frequently  and  more 
pungently  than  when  there  is  no  revival  of  relig- 
ion ;  because  the  Holy  Spirit  was  especially  with  us 
to  move  us  effectually  to  put  our  reason  and  con- 
science and  the  affections  of  our  hearts  to  their 
proper  uses  in  the  service  of  God,  and  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  blessings  of  his  redeeming  love.  This 
precious  revival  of  pure  religion,  by  the  rich  grace 
of  God,  continued  for  nearly  two  years.  It  was  the 
effect  of  the  still  but  powerful  working  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  doing  the  work  of  reconciling  sinners  to  God 
by  his  own  appointed  means,  guiding  them  "  into  all 
truth,"  strengthening  them  in  duty  in  their  ap- 
pointed stations,  and  ripening  them  for  eternal,  active 
usefulness  and  happiness  in  his  service. 

This  revival  was  the  most  extensive  in  useful  in- 
fluence, the  most  thorough,  and  of  the  longest  con- 
tinuance and  the  most  unmingled  with  special  trials 
of  any  that  I  have  ever  experienced  among  this  peo- 
10 


no 

pie.  It  continued  from  its  first  public  appearance 
in  August,  1816,  for  nearly  two  years,  till  by  its 
precious  fruits,  more  than  one  hundred  hopeful  con- 
verts were  added  to  this  church  by  profession,  from 
the  congregation  here.  Many  of  them  were  then 
heads  of  rising  families,  who  have  since  that  happy 
scene,  brought  them  up  ''  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
nition of  the  Lord,"  and  had  the  joy  of  seeing  many 
of  them  walking  in  the  truth.  And  a  considerable 
number  of  them  who  were  then  unmarried,  have 
since  that  precious  harvest  season,  become  heads  of 
families  and  brought  up  children  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,  who  are  now  in  various  parts  of  the  world, 
exhibiting  the  light  of  the  Christian  example  to 
"  glorify  our  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  For  more 
than  a  year  during  that  revival,  I  was  strengthened 
of  God  to  preach  twice  every  Sabbath,  and  some 
Sabbaths  three  times,  without  any  help  from  my 
reverend  brethren  abroad,  except  three  or  four  Sab- 
baths, and  generally  twice  and  sometimes  three  times 
during  the  week.  During  this  time  of  refreshing, 
we  enjoyed  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  except  on 
the  Lord's  day,  either  in  the  district  school-houses 
or  at  private  houses,  and  wherever  the  gospel  was 
preached,  whether  in  private  or  public,  there  were 
full  and  solemn  assemblies,  many  of  whom  seemed 
heartily  desirous  to  be  fed  with  the  food  of  divine 
truth,  because  they  were  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Indeed,  it  seemed  for  many  weeks  as  though  the 
sensible  presence  of  God,  the  holy,  heart-searching 
God,  filled  the  minds  of  the  whole  church  and  the 
whole  congregation,  which  was  then  very  numerous, 


Ill 

so  that  every  one  was  ready  to  say,  "  Lo  God  is  here 
of  a  truth."  Every  one  who  came  to  hear  the  gospel 
preached  was  ready  to  speak  on  their  personal  obli- 
gations to  become  reconciled  to  God.  But  the  fruits 
of  this  revival  were  not  confined  to  the  private,  per- 
sonal experience  and  domestic  duties  of  its  happy 
subjects,  though  it  built  up  many  a  family  in  the 
practice  of  family  prayer,  and  seasoned  with  the  love 
of  God  the  scenes  of  many  family  circles,  and 
brought  many  souls  to  the  practice  of  praying  in 
secret,  to  their  Father  who  seeeth  in  secret  and  re- 
wardeth  openly.  As  effects  of  this  happy  increase  of 
the  power  of  religion  amongst  this  people,  their  hearts 
were  enlarged,  and  their  hands  were  happily  opened 
to  the  works  of  Christian  benevolence  at  home  and 
abroad. 

Other  churches,  and  other  people  also,  at  this 
time,  felt  their  hearts  enlarged  to  go  about  doing 
good.  Until  after  the  year  1818, 1  believe  there 
was  no  public  contribution  for  any  purpose,  per 
mitted  to  be  gathered  in  this  State  without  special 
leave  from  the  Legislature.  That  leave  was  granted 
annually  in  May,  for  a  number  of  years,  only  for  a 
contribution  to  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society. 
But  about  that  time  that  prohibition  was  wisely  re- 
moved, and  the  spirit  of  Christian  benevolence  was 
allowed  to  pursue  its  happy  course  as  freely  in  pub- 
lic as  in  private.  And  since  that,  the  precious  prin- 
ciple of  the  religion  of  Christ,  the  love  of  doing  good, 
has  devised  and  sustained,  under  God,  a  great  variety 
of  benevolent  enterprises,  both  by  public  and  private 
aid,  by  which  many  branches  of  his  heavenly  vine 
have  been  planted  ;  many  houses  for  liis  public  wor- 


112 

ship  have  been  biiilded  ;  many  young  men  have  been 
qualified  and  sustained  as  faithful  ministers  of 
Christ ;  many  millions  of  copies  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures have  been  sent  and  read  among  the  destitute, 
and  millions  of  souls  saved  from  the  evils  of  sin,  by 
being  reconciled  to  God,  and  prepared  to  be  forever 
happy  and  useful  in  loving  and  serving  him. 

The  first  contribution  for  missionary  operations 
that  was  gathered  amongst  you  after  I  became  your 
pastor,  was  in  May,  1804,  and  was  $22.46.  The 
first  contribution  gathered  in  this  society  for  Foreign 
Missions,,  was  a  private  donation  from  the  Ladies' 
Benevolent  Society,  of  six  dollars,  in  1817,  and  the 
first  public  contribution  for  that  object  was  at  a 
prayer  meeting,  in  1819,  when  ten  dollars  was  con- 
tributed ;  and  the  same  year  the  Female  Benevo- 
lent Society  contributed  to  the  same  object,  thirty- 
five  dollars ;  and  in  1821,  the  Men's  Benevolent  So- 
ciety contributed  to  the  same  object,  $107.00.  And 
now  the  various  other  benevolent  societies  that  were 
formed  for  extending  the  blessings  of  the  gospel 
amongst  the  destitute  and  perpetuating  them 
amongst  others,  call  forth  your  offerings  to  the  Lord, 
to  aid  in  their  prosperity  ;  societies  for  publishing 
and  circulating  the  Bible  in  our  own  language,  and 
in  a  great  variety  of  other  languages ;  societies  for 
publishing  and  distributing  other  books  and  other 
printed  papers  in  a  great  variety,  containing  the 
truths  of  the  written  word  of  God ;  societies  for  the 
preparation  of  young  men  for  the  ministry  of  the 
gospel,  and  other  societies  and  means  operating  in 
brotherly  love  with  these,  to  promote  the  reconcilia- 


113 

tion  of  sinners  to  God,  have  received  your  cheerful 
contributions,  while  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  these  instru- 
mentaUties,  has  reconciled  to  God,  and  established 
in  the  way  of  salvation  from  sin,  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  souls  both  in  the  heathen  and  in  civilized 
nations,  and  the  way  has  become  opened  for  the  free 
preaching  of  the  gospel  to  almost  every  nation  on 
the  earth. 

This  church  and  society  have  contributed  for  fifty 
years  past,  annually,  more  or  less  to  this  cause  of 
Christian  benevolence,  and  more  especially  for  thirty- 
six  of  these  years,  since  1818,  when  the  way  became 
greatly  enlarged  for  such  modes  of  doing  good.  I 
need  not  specify  your  doings  in  these  things  for  each 
year,  for  of  these  things  we  must  give  account  of  our 
stewardship,  each  of  us  at  the  last  day  of  time. 

You  have  given  during  these  years,  from  twenty- 
two  dollars,  to  a  little  more  than  four  hundred  dol- 
lars in  a  year. 

These  exertions  of  the  friends  of  Christ  has  the 
Holy  Spirit  made  effectual  for  wonderfully  increas- 
ing the  light  and  power  of  the  gospel  during  the  last 
fifty  years,  both  in  Christendom  and  in  heathen  na- 
tions, by  which  the  works  of  darkness  and  counsels 
of  the  wicked  have  very  extensively  been  brought  to 
light  and  defeated.  One  whole  nation  of  idolaters 
has  been  brought  to  submit  to  Christ  as  his  rightful 
subjects,  to  their  rightful  Sovereign.  This  increase 
of  the  influence  of  the  gospel  amongst  the  nations, 
has  made  the  social  intercourse  among  the  nations 
and  families  of  the  earth  vastly  greater  and  more 

useful  and  happv,  and  is  happily  preparing  the  way 
10* 


114 

for  God  the  Father  in  Christ  to  reconcile  the  world 
to  himself  and  to  give  to  Christ  his  Son,  "  the  hea- 
then for  his  inheritance  and  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth  for  his  possession."  These  wonders  of 
God's  working,  I  have  witnessed  with  you  and 
pointed  out  to  you  "  the  signs  of  the  times,"  as  God 
has  revealed  them  before  us  by  his  providence  in  the 
light  of  his  word,  and  you  have  read  of  them  in  the 
sources  of  knowledge  he  has  brought  to  you  for  that 
purpose.  And  how  often  during  the  time  of  my 
watchful  care  over  your  souls,  have  you  been  ready 
to  exclaim  in  your  social  scenes  with  your  compan- 
ions in  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  ''  What  hath  God 
wrought  1 "  What  wonders  is  he  still  working  ! 
and  what  still  greater  wonders  will  he  hereafter 
work  to  glorify  his  name  and  honor  Christ  in  the 
redemption  of  sinners. 

As  one  of  the  precious  fruits  of  the  revival  of 
Christian  benevolence  amongst  us  in  the  years  1816 
and  1817,  that  house  for  an  academic  school  and 
various  other  uses  of  the  highest  importance  to  the 
families  of  this  people  was  planned  and  built,  and 
has  under  God's  providence  proved  a  source  of  ines- 
timably precious  blessings  to  us  for  the  training  of 
our  youth  in  useful  literature  and  science,  for  our 
happy  preparations  for  singing  to  edification,  and 
comfort  for  those  concerned  in  our  songs  of  praise 
in  the  house  of  God ;  and  a  place  where  innumera- 
ble blessings  from  God  have  descended  upon  us  in 
the  religious  meetings  which  in  a  happy  variety  of 
forms  have  been  enjoyed  there  for  thirty-six  years 
past. 


115 

The  changes  which  I   have  witnessed  and  expe- 
rienced amongst  you  during  fifty  years  past,  have 
been   very  many,  and   some  of  them   very  great. 
Changes  all  under  God's  providence  by  his  goodness, 
grace,  justice,  mercy,   power   and   wisdom,  by  his 
word,  and  by  his  Holy  Spirit.     What  changes  in  his 
church !  and   this   society !    in  your  characters,  in 
your  conditions  and  in  your  prospects  !  what  changes 
in  your  numbers,  in  your  ages,  in  your  earthly  pos- 
sessions, in  your  earthly  homes !  in  the  individuals 
that  compose  your  daily  family  circles,  in  the  con- 
struction  and  furniture  of  your  dwellings,  in  the 
comforts  of  your  apparel,  in  the  comforts  of  your 
means  of  traveling  in  summer  and  in  winter  !     What 
changes  have  you  enjoyed  amongst  your  flocks  and 
herds,  in  your  gardens,  and  your  fruit  trees  and  your 
fields ;  in  the  useful  arts,  in  your  skill,  and  in  your 
instruments  of  labor,  and   in   many   other   things, 
which  are  means  of  comfort  to  you  at  home  and 
abroad.     What   changes   has    God  wrought  for  us 
during  these  years  by  his  wise  and  kind  providence, 
by  our  instrumentality  in  the  construction,  the  con- 
veniences and  comforts  of  this  sacred  liouse  in  sum- 
mer and  winter,  for  our  public  worship  and  service 
of  hii;i,  for  the   honor  of  his  great  name  !     What 
changes  has  he  wrought  amongst  us  in  our  social 
scenes  in  public,  and  in  private,  at  home  and  abroad, 
by  leading  us  to  the  practice  of  habitual  abstinence 
from  the  use  of  strong  drink  as  a  beverage  !     And 
what  increase  of  knowledge  of  himself,  of  liis  works, 
and  his  word,  has  he  wrought  by  his  own  appointed 
means  !     What  an  increase  of  comforts  and  conven- 


116 

iences  hath  God  wrought  by  his  teaching  of  mankind 
during  these  years,  in  means  of  traveling  and  of 
the  conveyance  of  the  various  productions  of  the 
earth,  the  fruits  of  human  labor  and  skill ;  of  mate- 
rials for  building  of  every  kind ;  of  machinery  for 
every  useful  purpose.  And  what  wonderful  im- 
provements have,  by  the  agency  of  God,  by  his  ap- 
pointed means  in  the  preparation  and  transmission 
of  manuscript  and  printed  instructions  in  every  de- 
partment of  knowledge,  been  brought  into  use. 
Fifty  years  ago,  six  miles  an  hour  was  considered 
great  speed  for  the  transmission  of  messages.  But 
now  intelligence  is  conveyed  by  the  rapidity  of  light- 
ning, by  the  skill  which  God  has  given  to  man,  in 
these  things.  But  the  most  important  changes 
which  have  been  witnessed  amongst  us  have  been- 
produced  by  the  sins  of  mankind  which  have  hard- 
ened their  hearts  against  God,  and  shut  their  souls 
out  of  heaven ;  by  the  Holy  Spirit's  influence  mak- 
ing sinners  willing  to  love  God,  and  drawing  their 
hearts  to  forsake  their  sins  and  consecrate  themselves 
joyfully  forever  to  the  service  of  God ;  by  the  death 
of  Christians,  removing  them  from  earthly  stations 
of  great  imperfection  in  knowledge,  in  holiness  and 
happiness,  to  the  perfection  of  all  those  among  the 
"  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,"  in  the  glories  of 
heaven,  and  by  the  death  of  sinners  unreconciled  to 
God,  removing  them  from  all  the  privileges  of  a  state 
of  probation,  from  all  hope  of  good,  to  the  regions  of 
endless  despair  and  anguish !  Considering  these 
things  which  have  been  witnessed  amongst  us,  dur- 
ing the  time  hitherto  of  my  watching  over  you,  my 


117 

beloved  brethren  and  friends,  how  can  we  refrain 
from  exclaiming  amidst  manifold  emotions  of  unut- 
terable joy  and  grief,  anticipating  the  scenes  of  the 
judgment  day,  "  What  hath  God  wrought !  " 

The  gracious  enlightening  and  sanctifying  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit,  operating  by  the  instrumen- 
tality of  the  word  of  God,  creating  the  hearts  of  sin- 
ful men  new  in  Christ  Jesus,  are '  the  causes  which 
perpetuate  and  the  causes  which  increase  the  church 
of  God  in  this  sinful  world.  God  is  in  Christ  recon- 
ciling the  world  unto  Himself.  "  He  is  constantly 
m  some  part  or  other  of  His  visible  church  carrying 
on  this  work  of  reconciling  sinners."  Though  He 
reconciles  more  sinners  in  a  given  time  and  in  a 
given  place  than  in  others,  it  is  God's  prerogative, 
as  a  righteous  and  holy  Sovereign,  to  reconcile  sin- 
ners to  Him  when  and  where  He  pleases.  But  He 
has  been  pleased  to  bless  His  church  in  all  past  ages 
of  it,  with  seasons  of  refreshing,  which  we  properly 
call  revivals.  Of  these  I  have  noticed,  in  my  records 
during  my  ministry  among  you,  eleven.  These, 
like  all  others  of  the  like  kind,  have  been  seasons 
when  the  children  of  God  are  moved  by  His  spirit  to 
pray  more  consistently  and  fervently  than  is  common 
with  them,  and  when  He  influences  sinners  to  think 
oil  their  ways,  with  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  and  with 
humble  faith  in  Christ  sincerely  devote  themselves 
to  His  service  forever.  With  the  blessing  of  God,  I 
have  enjoyed  these  seasons ;  and  my  heart  is  still  re- 
freshed when  I  remember  them,  in  my  hours  of  re- 
tirement. During  such  seasons,  I  hope  that  myself 
and  my  beloved  wife,  almost  sixty  years  ago,  began 


118 

to  love  and  serve  our  Heavenly  Master,  and  during 
such  seasons,  within  thirty-five  years  past,  I  hope  all 
my  children  began  to  love  Christ,  as  the  Saviour  of 
sinners,  witli  love  which  will  never  cease,  yea,  and 
that  I  shall  meet  hundreds  more  of  souls  of  my  pas- 
toral charge  who  began  to  love  Christ  in  these  sea- 
sons of  refreshing,  who  by  the  redeeming  love  of 
God  in  Christ,  will  give  up  their  account  with  joy 
with  me  at  the  final  judgment  day. 

There  is  one  more  season  of  the  special  revival  of 
religion  amongst  the  people  of  my  pastoral  charge, 
which  for  certain  reasons  I  wish  to  mention  and 
somewhat  particularly  describe.  It  is  that  which 
began  in  the  summer,  and  progressed  in  the  fall,  and 
was  continued  through  the  winter  of  1831  and  32, 
and  was  accompanied  in  some  part  of  its  progress 
with  extraordinary  means,  that  is  with  a  season  of 
four  or  five  days  in  succession  of  daily  preaching  of 
the  gospel.  Such  measures  were  customary  in  the 
churches  in  this  region  at  that  time.  That  season 
took  place  in  the  last  week  in  October,  1831.  I  kept 
a  particular  journal  of  the  scenes  of  that  revival,  of 
my  own  public  and  private  labors,  and  of  the  labors  of 
the  many  others  who  came  professedly  to  help  me. 
But  the  wearing  and  fatiguing  influences  of  my  labors 
during  that  season,  upon  my  body,  and  my  mind, 
and  my  heart,  I  never  attempted  adequately  to  des- 
cribe, but  am  relieved  from  the  attempt  by  leaving 
them  to  be  described  as  He  shall  see  fit,  at  the  great 
and  last  judgment  day,  by  the  omniscent  Judge. 

I  observed  the  effects  of  the  spirit  of  prayer  upon 
some  of  the  people  of  God,  for  the  salvation  of  sin- 


119 

ners  in  the  summer  and  autumn  of  that  year,  and 
the  people  of  God  enjoyed  the  comfort  of  hoping  that 
six  or  seven  sinners  had  become  reconciled  to  God, 
among  whom  was  one  of  my  own  children,  before 
the  last  week  in  October,  when  the  extraordinary 
measures  were  introduced  among  us. 

I  never  have  heard  of  but  one  instance  of  hopeful 
conversion  during  that  week  of  greatly  increased 
means. 

After  these  scenes  I  proceeded,  with  the  help  of 
God,  with  my  pastoral  duties  on  the  Lord's  days  and 
on  other  days,  preaching  and  teaching  both  publicly 
and  from  house  to  house,  with  very  little  help  of 
preaching  from  others,  for  almost  three  months,  till 
the  22d  day  of  January,  1832,  when  Mr.  Barrows 
came  to  assist  me.  Up  to  this  time  there  were  prob- 
ably among  us  a  little  over  fifty  hopeful  conversions, 
and  from  this  time  forward  till  the  close  of  this  revi- 
val, in  the  next  summer,  there  were  added  to  these 
probably  between  forty  and  fifty  more,  and  from  this 
harvest  season  there  were  almost  eighty  added  to 
this  church.  God  has  so  wrought  upon  the  hearts 
of  sinners  amongst  us  in  reconciling  them  to  him- 
self, that  there  has  seldom  a  year  past  during  these 
fifty,  when  there  has  not  been  one  or  more  born  hope- 
fully into  his  spiritual  kingdom  here. 

But  it  is  proper  that  I  mention  the  fundamental 
doctrines  which  God  has  helped  me  to  teach  from 
His  word  during  the  past  time  of  my  watchmanship 
here,  which  He  has  been  pleased  to  bless  for  the 
redemption  of  sinners  and  their  advancement  in  ho- 
lirfess. 


120 

I  have  taught  the  existence  and  infinite  perfection  of 
one  only  living  and  true  God,  the  Creator,  Sovereign 
Ruler,  Supreme  Judge  of  the  world,  rightful  propri- 
etor and  disposer  of  all  creatures  and  things,  and  of 
each  individual,  as  the  foundation  of  all  true  relig- 
ion. And  that  the  book  which  we,  by  God's  teach- 
ings, call  the  Holy  Scriptures,  contains  a  perfect  sys- 
tem of  truth,  all  sufficient  for  manlj:ind  in  their  state 
of  prol)ation  in  this  world,  able  to  make  wise  unto 
salvation,  through  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus, 
all  who  heartily  believe  and  obey  them  ;  affording 
all  needed  profit  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correc. 
tion,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,  and  to  render 
the  subjects  of  God's  forgiving  love  in  Christ  perfect 
and  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works. 
That  this  sacred  book  teaches  that  the  only  living 
and  true  God  exists  in  three  persons  who  ai^e  called 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  existing  so 
distinctly  that  the  Son  speaking  himself,  says  to  the 
Father,  "  I  thank  Thee,  0  Father,  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  that  Thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the 
wise  and  prudent  and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes, 
even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  tlxy  sight." 
And  speaking  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Clirist  says, "  When 
He,  the  Spirit  of  Truth  shall  come,  He  shall  guide 
you  into  all  Truth  ;  He  shall  glorify  me,  for  He 
shall  receive  of  mine  and  shall  shew  it  unto  you." 
Each  of  these  persons^  in  the  Trinity  is  represented 
as  acting  separately  for  himself:  "As  they  ministered 
to  the  Lord  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost  said,  sepa- 
rate me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  whereunto 
I  have  called  them."     And  yet  Paul  says  that  lie 


121 

was  called  by  Jesus  Christ  to  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try. Thus  the  three  persons  in  the  Trinity  act  inde- 
pendently of  each  other,  but  always  in  perfect  har- 
mony, always  as  divine ;  at  other  times  they  act  to- 
gether, communicating  the  same  blessings  at  the 
same  time,  and  yet  always  act  as  one  supreme,  per- 
fect God.  I  have  taught  you  also,  from  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  the  character  of  man, — that  man  at  his 
first  creation  was  holy  and  happy,  in  the  service  and 
enjoyment  of  God. 

And  that  very  soon  after  his  creation  he  fell  from 
this  holy  and  happy  state  and  character,  by  volunta- 
rily transgressing  the  known,  plain,  just,  good  and 
perfect  law  of  God,  by  the  influence  of  Satan,  a  re- 
bellious angel ;  and  that  by  this  sin  was  introduced, 
all  the  evils  of  death  to  the  bodies  and  souls  that 
ever  have  been  or  ever  will  be  experienced  by  our 
race ;  and  that  the  natural  fruit  of  voluntarily  trans- 
gressing the  law  of  God  is  death  to  all  real  happi- 
ness and  death  to  all  hope  of  happiness. 

But  I  have,  by  divine  command,  also,  with  joy  un- 
speakable, taught  you  that  God,  the  Father,  "  so 
loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish 
but  have  everlasting  life,"  and  that  at  the  time 
appointed.  He  actually  bestowed  this  gift  accor- 
ding to  His  promise,  in  the  birth,  life,  preaching, 
miracles  and  sufferings  and  death,  as  the  vicarious 
substitute  for  sinners  of  mankind,  that  He  might 
make  complete  atonement  for  sin  "  so  that  God  can 
be  just  and  justify  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus,"  and 
that  on  the  third  day  after  his  death  He  rose  from 
11 


122 

the  dead,  appeared  for  forty  days  amongst  his  disci- 
ples, setting  the  things  of  His  kingdom  in  order ; 
and  finally  proclaiming  His  power  in  heaven  and  on 
earth,  as  mediator  and  as  the  only  Redeemer  of  sin- 
ners, commissioned  His  apostles  to  go  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  among 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Fa- 
ther, the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  He  had  com- 
manded them,  closing  His  commission  with  this  prom- 
ise :  "  Lo  I  am  with  yon  always,  unto  the  end  of  the 
world." 

It  is  by  virtue  of  this  commission  that  I  have 
preached  the  gospel  of  Christ  unto  you  these  fifty 
years,  and  that  I  preach  it  to  you  under  these  solem- 
nities to-day.  I  have  felt  authorized  to  offer  salva- 
tion freely,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  to  every  one  who 
came  to  hear  me  and  to  every  one  whom  I  met  in 
public  or  private  who  will  come  to  Christ;  and  to 
entreat  all  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  And  there  is 
another  doctrine  which  I  have  preached  to  you  wliich 
is  painfully  true,  that  the  nature  of  sin  is  such  that  • 
when  mankind  are  left  to  themselves  they  will  not 
come  to  Christ  that  they  might  have  life  ;  and  that 
sinners,  if  left  to  themselves,  will  waste  their  wiiole 
life  in  sin,  and  fall,  at  death,  under  the  just  wrath 
of  God  where  they  will  perish  forever  in  their  own 
moral  corruption,  and  will  justly  bear  the  blame  of 
their  own  destruction. 

I  have  taught  you  also,  from  the  word  of  God, 
that  He  has  published  and  is  constantly  carrying  in- 
to execution  His  purpose  of  redeeming  love  for  a 


123 

great  multitude,  which  no  man  can  number,  of  all 
nations,  and  people,  and  languages  of  our  race,  by 
the  effectual  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He 
brings  them  as  voluntarily  and  freely  to  renounce 
the  love  of  sinning  as  they  ever  indulged  it,  and  to 
bind  themselves  effectually  and  forever  to  His  holy 
service  and  His  love,  and  effectually  provides  that 
nothing  in  the  universe  shall  ever  separate  one  of 
them  from  this  union  to  God  in  Christ.  This  change 
is  called  regeneration.  I  have  taught  you,  from 
God's  word,  that  every  redeemed  sinner  is  received 
into  eternal  favor  with  God  in  Christ,  not  for  the 
merit  of  their  own  works,  but  only  by  faith  in  the 
perfect  righteousness  of  Christ,  which  He  has  gra- 
ciously prepared  for  them  and  freely  gives  them 
for  their  justification  ;  and  that  God  requires  and 
receives,  as  the  fruit  of  redeeming  love,  from  every 
reconciled  sinner,  repentance,  godly  sorrow  for  every 
transgression  of  His  holy  law,  as  the  proper  evidence 
of  the  sincerity  of  his  faith  in  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  for  his  justification. 

The  sanctification  of  sinners,  whom  Christ  redeems, 
begins  with  the* first  holy  exercise  which  they  put 
forth,  by  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  at  the  instant  of 
their  regeneration,  and  progresses  through  all  the 
after  scenes  of  their  spiritual  life  on  the  earth,  and 
is  perfected  as  soon  as  the  soul  enters  the  heavenly 
state,  at  the  death  of  the  body. 

I  have  set  before  you,  from  the  word  of  God,  the 
duty  of  all  men  every  where  to  repent  of  their  sins, 
in  view  of  the  day  which  he  hath  appointed  in  the 
which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousnes  by 


124 

that  man  whom  he  hath  ordained,  whereof  he  hath 
given  assurance  to  all  men  in  that  he  hath  raised 
him  from  the  dead."  And  that  is  the  day  when  I, 
as  your  spiritual  watchman,  and  the  souls  which  God 
hath  committed  to  my  pastoral  care,  to  whom  I  have 
spoken  the  word  of  God,  shall  give  up  our  account, 
cither  with  joy  or  with  grief.  I  have  taught  you 
that  every  one  who  believes  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
with  faith  which  works  by  love  and  purifies  the 
heart,  shall  enjoy  eternal  life  with  him  in  heaven, 
and  that  every  one  who  does  not  believe  on  him  shall 
not  see  life,  but  that  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on 
him.  I  have  shown  you,  from  the  word  of  God,  the 
duty  of  all  men  to  become  reconciled  to  God,  and  to 
bring  themselves  with  humble  dependence  on  his 
gracious  help  to  love  him  and  serve  him  as  their 
righteous  Lord  and  Sovereign  forever — and  that  it  is 
especially  the  duty  of  all  sincere  believers  in  Christ, 
as  soon  as  they  have  had  opportunity,  properly  to 
examine  themselves,  to  appear  publicly  under  the 
tokens  of  his  appointment,  as  faithful  witnesses  for 
him  and  his  gospel,  always  abounding  in  his  work  of 
seeking  to  win  souls  to  him.  i^nd  that  it  is  the 
duty  and  privilege  of  those  who  are  Christian  pa- 
rents, to  consecrate  their  children  to  God,  and  bind 
themselves  publicly  by  his  appointed  tokens,  to  give 
them  a  faithful  religious  education,  and  to  "  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord," 
showing  themselves  to  be  by  grace  the  faithful  chil- 
dren of  faithful  Abraham,  of  whom  God  says  "  see- 
ing that  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  great  and 
mighty  nation  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall 


125 

be  blessed  in  him,  for  I  know  him  that  he  will  com- 
mand his  children  and  his  household  after  him,  and 
they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord  to  do  jus- 
tice and  judgment,  that  the  Lord  may  bring  upon 
Abraham  that  which  he  hath  spoken  of  him."  And 
these  blessings  were  promised  to  be  bestowed  upon 
Abraham,  and  upon  his  believing  spiritual  seed  of 
both  Israelites  and  of  all  other  nations  by  the  means 
of  God's  appointment  in  the  faithful  religious  edu- 
cation of  children  in  the  family  by  the  principles  of 
the  gospel ;  for  these  were  the  great  truths  which 
were  by  God's  appointment,  to  bless  Abraham,  and 
to  bless  his  spiritual  seed  to  the  end  of  human  fami- 
lies on  the  earth,  according  to  the  words  of  Paul  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  "  And  tlie  Scripture  foreseeing  that 
God  would  justify  the  heathen  through  faith,  preach- 
ed before  the  gospel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  in  thee 
shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed,  so  then 
they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with  faithful 
Abraham."  And  many  of  you,  my  brethren  and 
friends,  who  are  Christian  parents  and  I  hope  myself 
and  my  beloved  wife  with  you,  have  by  the  gracious 
help  of  God,  brought  up  our  children  according  to 
his  command,  in  our  families,  and  have  had  the  joy 
of  seeing  them  walking  in  the  truth,  as  I  hope  I 
have  all  mine,  nine  in  number,  in  their  childhood 
and  early  youth,  and  that  for  this  rich  grace  we  shall 
give  up  our  account  together  with  joy.  Brotherly- 
love  in  the  family  of  Christ,  or  the  love  of  Chris- 
tians, as  such,  our  Lord  and  Master  teaches  us  to  be 
an  essential  doctrine   to  be  believed  and  practiced 

amongst  his  disciples.     "  By  this  shall  all  men  know 
11* 


126 

tliat  ye  are  my  disciples  if  ye  have  love  one  to 
another."  Indeed,  so  important  does  Christ  consider 
this,  that  he  has  most  plainly  taught  us  that  accord- 
ing to  this  principle  the  whole  race  of  man  will  be 
divided  into  two  classes  before  the  judgment-seat  at 
the  great  and  last  day — see  the  proof  of  this  doctrine 
in  Christ's  own  description  of  the  scenes  of  the  last 
judgment,  in  the  25th  chapter  of  Matthew,  when 
that  decision  of  our  whole  race  shall  be  made,  then 
indeed  shall  all  men  know  who  are  the  disciples  of 
Christ  and  who  are  not. 

There  are  other  principles  of  truth  which  I  have 
abundantly  taught  you,  clearly  comprehended  in 
these  and  intimately  blended  with  them,  all  of  which 
it  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  here  explicitly  men- 
tion. The  principle  of  benevolence,  or  good  will  to 
all  mankind,  I  will  here  mention.  This  is  called  in 
the  New  Testament  Scriptures,  charity,  and  it  is 
called,  also,  "  the  bond  of  perfectness."  This  prin- 
ciple is  fully  taught  by  this  command  of  God,  and 
is  binding  on  all  mankind  at  all  times.  It  is  this  : 
"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 

This  command  of  God  contains  a  bond  of  uni- 
versal love  amongst  rational  creatures.  It  is  the 
perfect  obedience  of  the  holy  Angels  to  this  which 
produces  the  perfect  happiness  of  their  society  in  the 
service  of  God  and  with  each  other.  And  this 
"  bond  of  perfectness,"  is  that  which  will  produce 
the  eternal  peace  and  happiness  amongst  all  redeem- 
ed sinners,  and  holy  Angels.  And  it  is  their  diso- 
bedience to  this  which  produces  all  the  social  evils 


127 

which  exist  amongst  sinful  men  and  sinful  angels, 
both  in  this  world,  and  in  the  eternal  world. 

I  have  also  taught  you,  from  the  word  of  God,  the 
nature  and  the  importance  of  the  institution  of  mar- 
riage ;  of  the  visible  church,  and  of  civil  government, 
which  God  hath  established  for  the  safety,  the  comfort 
and  usefulness  of  mankind  in  his  service,  and  the 
reconciliation  of  sinners  to  himself  during  their  state 
of  probation  in  this  world.  I  have  also  taught  you, 
from  the  word  of  God,  and  by  my  example,  the  obli- 
gations of  all  men,  especially  of  those  who  possess  the 
written  word  of  God,  to  "  remember  the  Sabbath 
day,  to  keep  it  holy."  And  to  help  you  heartily  and 
practically  to  observe  this  holy  law  of  God,  I  have 
very  often,  repeated  to  you  and  to  your  children, 
in  public  and  in  private,  from  the  word  and  the 
providence  of  God,  the  tokens  of  his  high  and 
pointed  displeasure  and  wrath  against  those  who 
profane  the  Sabbath  day,  and  the  expressions  of  his 
fall  and  hearty  favor  to  all  who  love  and  remember 
it  and  keep  it  holy  according  to  his  commandment. 

I  have  taught  you  these  doctrines  and  the  kind  of 
doctrines  combined  with  them,  and  proved  them 
with  the  help  of  God,  from  his  holy  word,  during 
these  fifty  years.  I  have  preached  them  to  you  with 
plainness  of  speech  in  this  sacred  house,  in  your 
school-houses,  and  in  your  dwelling-houses,  on  the 
Lord's  day,  and  on  other  days ;  and  I  have  taught 
them  to  you  at  your  beds  of  sickness,  at  funerals, 
on  wedding  occasions,  at  pastoral  visits  from  house 
to  house,  and  at  many  other  opportunities,  when  I 
have  met  you  at  my  house  and  at  your  houses,  and 


128 

in  the  highways  and  in  the  fields  ;  and  often  with 
tears  and  much  entreaty,  and  prayed  you  "  in  Christ's 
stead  to  be  reconciled  to  God."  And  through  all 
these  scenes  you  have  witnessed  my  frailties  and 
many  of  my  sins  ;  and  I  ask  you  to  pity  my  frailties 
and  forgive  my  sins,  as  I  ought  to  yours,  for  Christ's 
sake,  and  hope  I  do.  I  have  endeavored  with  the 
help  of  God,  to  teach  you  by  my  example,  while  I 
have  preached  to  you,  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of 
his  word.  Thus  I  have  set  before  you  my  example 
as  a  father,  a  master  of  a  family,  as  a  neighbor,  as  a 
member  of  the  visible  church,  and  as  a  subject  of 
civil  government,  and  as  a  friend  and  as  a  man, 
teaching  you  by  actions  in  harmony  with  the  word 
of  God,  that  I  am  heartily,  practically,  and  happily 
trying  the  way  which  I  have  taught  you  as  the  right 
way  to  heaven. 

It  has  pleased  God  to  give  me  remarkably  com- 
fortable health  since  my  childhood.  I  have  been 
able  every  day  to  rise  from  my  bed,  put  on  my 
clothes,  walk  about  and  attend  to  some  active,  useful 
labor  with  my  hands  and  my  mind.  And  for  forty 
years  after  I  begun  my  ministry  among  you,  I 
think  I  was  not  unable  by  sickness  for  more  than 
three  Sabbaths  to  attend  public  worship,  nor  unable 
to  preach  during  these  forty  years,  more  than  six 
Sabbaths.  And  in  not  more  than  four  or  five  instan- 
ces during  these  years,  was  I  unable  by  sickness,  to 
go  and  visit  the  sick,  or  attend  a  funeral  when  I  was 
requested  to  do  so.  I  say  these  things  not  to  praise 
myself,  but  to  praise   God  for  his  loving  kindness 


129 

which  helps  me  to  say  them,  and  helped  me  to  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  which  I  have  here  spoken. 

But  whilst  it  has  pleased  God  to  spare  my  health 
so  remarkably,  and  to  restore  it  often  when  partially 
taken  away  for  a  short  time,  he  has  called  me  to 
witness  many  deaths  within  the  limits  of  this  society. 
During  my  ministry  I  have  kept  an  account  of  all 
the  deaths  within  the  limits  of  this  society,  which 
came  to  my  knowledge,  and  the  number  that  I  have 
recorded  amounts  to  twelve  hundred  and  one.  These 
have  been,  of  various  ages,  from  one  hundred  and 
one  years,  to  only  a  few  hours.  These  have  been 
of  a  great  variety  of  characters  and  conditions,  in 
this  life,  but  God  has  fixed  each  of  them,  at  death 
in  an  eternal  state  either  of  glory  and  joy  or  of  woe 
and  despair.  For  twenty  years  from  the  beginning 
of  my  ministry,  I  was  called  to  attend  the  funerals 
of  almost  all  who  died  here,  and  the  greatest  part 
almost  every  year  since  that  time.  A  precious  num- 
ber of  these  we  have  committed  to  their  graves  with 
a  firm  and  good  hope  through  gi'ace  that  they  have 
gone  to  be  with  Christ  in  eternal  glory  and  joy. 
Others  we  have  committed  to  their  graves  amidst 
distressing  doubts  concerning  their  eternal  state. 
But  we  shall  meet  all  these  at  the  judgment-seat  of 
'Christ,  and  "witness  them  giving  up  their  account 
either  with  joy  or  with  grief  with  all  the  rest  of  the 
human  race. 

Thus  we  see  how  the  scenes  of  time  are  most  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  scenes  of  eternity  ;  and 
how  necessary  it  is  that  we  become  reconciled  to 
God  here,  and  by  a  life  of  holiness  which  God  will 


130 

approve,  that  we  may  be  at  peace  with  him  at  death, 
and  meet  him  witli  joy  in  the  scenes  of  the  world  to 
come.  It  is  a  source  of  unspeakable  joy  to  me  as  I 
am  drawing  daily  near  to  the  eternal  world,  that  I 
have  enjoyed  with  you  who  love  Christ,  the  sight  of 
a  goodly  number,  some  hundreds  I  hope,  and  many 
of  you  who  hear  me  to-day  among  them,  while  many 
others  of  them  have  gone  with  other  redeemed  sin- 
ners, to  be  with  Christ,  abandoning  the  love  of  the 
world  as  their  portion,  and  with  godly  sincerity  bind- 
ing themselves  to  be  the  Lord's,  "  growing  in  grace," 
and  shining  in  works  of  righteousness  and  Christian 
benevolence  as  lights  in  the  world. 

But  alas,  my  brethren  and  friends,  our  joy  is  min- 
gled with  grief.  For  we  have  seen  some  of  whom 
we  are  afraid  that  labor  has  been  bestowed  upon 
them  in  vain  ;  who  have  appeared  by  profession,  on 
the  Lord's  side,  and  at  times,  by  their  apparent  blos- 
soms, they  have  promised  some  good  fruit  ;  but 
afterwards  wholly  disappointed  our  hopes,  by  plainly 
showing  that  they  had  only  "  a  name  to  live  while 
really  they  were  dead." 

And  some  others  in  the  congregation  we  see,  who 
give  no  evidence  that  their  hearts  are  reconciled 
to  God,  and  yet  are  exposed  every  day  to  death,  and 
to  all  the  sufferings  of  God's  displeasure,  to  his  just 
and  eternal  wrath. 

Thus,  my  brethren  and  friends,  for  fifty  years,  I 
have  habitually  taught  you  the  doctrines  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified.  By  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  in  thousands  of  discourses,  by  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Lord's  Supper,  almost  three  hundred 


131 

times,  and  by  the  administration  of  baptism  to  six 
hundred  and  eighty-eight  subjects  ;  one  hundred 
and  three  adults  and  five  hundred  and  eighty-five 
children.  I  have  set  before  you  the  distinguishing 
doctrine  of  the  religion  of  Christ,  that  the  shedding 
of  his  blood  once  for  all  hath  obtained  the  remission 
of  sins  for  all  the  multitudes  of  the  "  church  of  God 
which  he  hath  purchased  with  his  own  blood." 
How  often,  by  signs  of  his  own  appointment,  hath 
"  Jesus  Christ  been  evidently  set  forth  crucified 
among  you."  How  aggravated  will  be  the  suffer- 
ings of  those  who  remember  for  eternal  ages  that 
they  have  perished  in  their  sins  from  the  midst  of 
the  ordinances  of  God,  because  they  would  not 
"  come  to  Christ  that  they  might  have  life  !  " 

During  my  ministry  among  you  for  these  fifty 
years  past,  I  have  officiated  to  join  in  the  bonds  of 
the  marriage  covenant,  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  couple  ;  four  of  these  were  of  my  own  cliil- 
dren.  This  institution  of  God,  under  his  provi- 
dence, is  the  source  of  all  the  useful,  kind,  and  ten- 
der affections  amongst  our  race,  and  is  the  founda- 
tion of  all  the  useful  enterprises  among  mankind  in 
this  world,  and  comprehends  under  its  influence  all 
that  vast  system  of  means  by  which  sinners  are 
reconciled  to  God,  and  the  church  is  prepared  for 
heaven. 

And  while  I  have  watched  over  your  souls,  under 
the  watchman  of  Israel,  as  one  who  must  give  ac- 
count, you  have,  according  to  written  agreement  and 
often  beyond  that,  as  you  have  seen  the  need  of  my 
numerous  family,  you  have  ministered  of  your  free 


132 

will  offerings  to  supply  our  necessities  and  furnish 
us  with  many  precious  comforts  to  relieve  my  anxi" 
eties  and  in  various  ways  to  help  me  in  my  duties  to 
your  own  souls,  and  thus,  and  by  many  other  tokens, 
you  have  manifested  your  high  esteem  and  love  to 
me  for  my  work's  sake. 

And  for  all  your  kindness  and  all  the  other  kind- 
ness of  God  to  me  and  my  family,  through  these 
many  years  which  we  have  experienced  amongst  you, 
I  joyfully  take  this  opportunity  to  express  my  thanks 
to  you,  and  above  all,  to  God,  who,  for  Christ's  sake 
hath  so  extensively  blessed  us  together  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  privileges  of  the  gospel. 

It  is  proper  that  I  should  state,  on  this  occasion, 
that  it  will  be  one  hundred  years  on  the  first  day  of 
next  May,  since  this  church  was  organized,  and  its 
first  pastor.  Rev.  Thomas  Potwine,  was  ordained  ; 
and  that  I  am  the  second  pastor  of  this  church.  Mr. 
Potwine  officiated  as  sole  pastor  here,  forty-eight 
years,  six  months  and  a  half,  and  my  ordination 
took  place  just  one  year  and  three  months  after  his 
death  ;  and  I  officiated  as  sole  pastor  of  this  church 
until  seven  months  of  the  forty-fifth  year  of  my  min- 
istry had  passed  away,  when  an  associate  pastor, 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Andrews,  was  ordained  here  in 
September,  1848.  Since  that  time  I  have  preached, 
administered  the  sacraments,  joined  persons  in  mar- 
riage, visited  the  sick  and  officiated  at  funerals,  made 
pastoral  visits  and  performed  other  duties  belonging 
to  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  at  home  and  abroad,  as 
I  have  been  requested  and  as  I  have  had  strength 
given  me,  so  that  having   obtained  help  of  God  I 


133 

continue  until  this  time,  testifying  among  you,  my 
beloved  brethren  and  friends,  the  things  of  the  king- 
dom of  God."  When  I  began  my  ministry  among 
you,  the  deacons  of  this  church  were  two  men  in 
advanced  years.  Deacon  James  Harper  and  Deacon 
Oliver  Barber,  Deacon  Harper  died  in  1808  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years,  and  Deacon  Barber  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four,  in  1820.  Deacon  Noah  Allen 
was  ordained  to  this  office  in  1809,  and  died  in  1824, 
sixty-seven  years  of  age.  Deacon  Daniel  Richard- 
son was  ordained  in  1818  and  removed  from  this 
state  in  1829  and  died  in  1847,  between  sixty  and 
seventy  years.  Deacon  Ira  Wells  was  ordained  to 
the  office  of  Deacon  among  us  in  1823.  Deacon 
Anson  Bissell  was  ordained  to  this  office  in  1825, 
and  removed  his  relationship  from  us  to  the  third 
church  in  East  Windsor  in  1832.  Deacon  Erastus 
Buckland  was  set  apart  to  his  office  in  the  church  in 
1830  and  died  in  1848.  Deacon  Azel  S.  Roe  was 
ordained  to  that  office  among  you  in  1833.  Thus  I 
have  been  personally  acquainted  and  taken  affection- 
ate counsel  with  eight  deacons  in  this  church  during 
my  ministry  among  you,  who  have  ministered  during 
the  fifty  years  past,  the  symbols  of  Christ's  body  and 
blood  to  the  members  of  the  church  and  ministered 
to  the  wants  of  the  poor  members,  all  but  three  of 
whom.  Deacon  Bissell,  now  in  Ohio,  and  the  two 
who  yet  live  among  us,  have,  we  joyfully  hope,  gone 
to  be  with  Christ  and  "  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect'"  in  the  glorious  mansions  prepared  for  them 
in  His  Father's  house. 
Thus,  my  beloved  brethren  and  friends,  with  the 
12 


134 

help  of  God,  I  have  exercised  my  care  over  you, 
watching  to  warn  you  of  dangers  and  to  teach  you 
the  way  of  eternal  safety,  amidst  the  innumerable 
dangers,  snares,  temptations  and  sins  of  this 
changing,  rebellious,  dying  world.  Some  of  you 
have  lived  fifty  years  with  me  amidst  the  privileges 
of  the  gospel,  and  have  during  these  years  experi- 
enced the  joyful  beginning  and  the  sure  and  happy 
progress  in  your  souls  of  the  work  of  God's  redeem- 
ing love ;  and  you  will  find  in  your  happy  experi- 
ence of  His  care  over  you,  that  all  things  that  you 
experience  and  witness  by  His  gracious  appointment 
"work  together  for  your  good"  and  will  ripen  you 
for  the  "  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light." 

But  who  will  write  and  preach  fifty  years  from 
this  time,  the  history  of  the  effects  of  the  gospel 
amongst  the  members  of  this  church  and  of  the  re- 
ligious society  connected  with  it;  and  if  it  should 
be  written  and  preached  then,  who  of  this  assembly 
here  to-day  will  be  present  then  and  hear  it  ? 

I  came  among  you,  in  the  beginning  of  my  care 
for  your  spiritual  welfare,  in  the  vigor  and  strength 
of  youth,  in  the  twenty- sixth  year  of  my  life.  You 
have  seen  me  amidst  labors  and  cares  and  much  so- 
licitude for  the  salvation  of  your  souls,  strengthened 
"  by  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  ascending 
to  my  meridian  life  among  you.  Since  that,  amidst 
cares  and  labors  more  and  more  weighty  and  com- 
plicated, you  have  seen  me  declining  toward  the 
hour  of  my  setting  sun,  attended  with  the  signs  of 
old  age,  and  though  in  my  seventy-sixth  year,  still 


135 

blessed  by  the  mercy  and  loving  kindness  of  the 
God  of  our  fathers  with  very  comfortable  degrees  of 
health  of  body  and  vigor  of  mind.  Still  I  find  that 
my  strength  of  body,  at  my  present  age,  is  materially 
different  from  that  which  I  possessed  even  six  years 
ago,  and  that  now,  much  oftener  than  ten  years  ago, 
I  have  to  say,  in  view  of  scenes  of  bodily  exercise, 
"  the  spirit  is  willing  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  But 
we  all,  whether  young  or  old,  daily  live  and  move 
in  the  scenes  of  the  world,  amid  changing,  decaying, 
dying  men. 

The  word  and  the  providence  of  God,  with  migh- 
ty emphasis,  call  us  to  look  forward  to  death  and 
the  final  judgment  and  eternal  scenes  as  things  which 
we  must  inevitably  experience,  and  for  which  we  are 
bound,  by  infinitely  precious  obligations,  to  be  hap- 
pily prepared.  Let  us  now,  my  brethren,  as  we  are 
closing  this  review  of  the  past  fifty  years,  seeking  to 
be  guided  by  the  word  and  spirit  of  God,  in  our  im- 
agination look  forward  to  the  last  day  of  time.  The 
great  work  of  reconciling  sinners  to  God,  by  the  me- 
diation of  Christ,  is  done ;  all  the  dead,  small  and 
great,  stand  before  God,  and  all  that  are  alive  on  the 
earth  when  this  last  day  is  ushered  in,  are  changed, 
and  all  the  race  of  man  is  arrayed  before  Him  to  re- 
ceive their  allotment  for  eternal  ages.  The  day  of 
the  revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God  is 
come.  "  The  Son  of  Man  has  come  in  his  glory  as 
Judge  of  all  the  earth."  "  He  sits  upon  the  throne 
of  his  glory"  to  establish  the  results  of  His  admin- 
istration as  mediator.  He  separates  the  vast  multi- 
tude into  two  classes,  the  righteous  and  the  wicked. 


136 

The  righteous  are  on  His  right  hand  and  the  wicked 
on  His  left.  "And  the  King  says  to  them  on  His 
right  hand,  come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit 
the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world."  ''And  to  those  on  the  left,  depart, 
ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  ever- 
lasting punishment,  and  the  righteous  into  life  eter- 
nal." Dear  brethren  and  friends,  are  we  now  com- 
forted with  a  "  good  hope  through  grace,"  that  we 
shall  stand  with  joy  as  the  children  of  the  kingdom, 
at  that  day,  on  the  right  hand  of  our  Judge  ? 

May  God  grant  to  each  of  us  all  the  needful  grace 
to  be  so  reconciled  to  Him  in  time  that  we  shall 
spend  eternity  with  joy,  in  His  presence,  with  the  in- 
numerable company  of  those  "  who  have  washed 
their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  tlie 
Lamb."     Amen. 


>0--^^^--w. 


